Mass Layoffs of Probationary Employees Intensified: The Trump administration escalated its efforts to reduce the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees – those with less than a year of service – who hadn’t yet gained civil service protections. This action, directed by the OPM, began ramping up over the weekend and continued into the week, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers across agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Education, and OPM itself.
More Pressure via “What Did You Do Last Week?” Email: Federal workers received an email asking them to list their accomplishments from the previous week or resign. Adding stress to an already uncertain workforce, not all agencies were in agreement as to whether employees were required to respond. Leaders at the Pentagon, FBI, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Energy all instructed their staff not to reply. Some agencies that required compliance later changed course. The White House reports that over 1 million employees have responded.
OSC Blocks Layoffs: On Tuesday, February 25, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) intervened to halt some of the probationary layoffs, ruling the mass firing of probationary employees appears to be unlawful. The findings center on the termination of six probationary employees across six agencies whose firings violate federal personnel laws mandating that probationary employees can only be terminated for individualized reasons tied to poor performance or misconduct.
Merit Board Reinstates Fired Workers: On Wednesday, February 26, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) found that each of the six agencies responsible for firing the employees represented by the OSC engaged in a prohibited personnel practice. They ordered a 45-day stay and reinstated the affected employees. The OSC has vowed to use the 45-day stay to further investigate the firings of a wider sampling of fired probationary employees in order to bring more sweeping action. The MSPB also posted a fact sheet regarding probationary terminations. Thursday, February 27, a California judge blocked the Trump administration from ordering the termination of probationary employees, ruling that the OPM lacks the power to fire these employees.
TSP Sets Its Sights on $1 Trillion: At their latest meeting the TSP governing board revealed that as of the end of January, the amount invested in the TSP was $985 billion. TSP performance is largely driven by the C, S, and I funds which hold roughly 61% of funds. There are currently over 7.2 million TPS accounts and the average account balance across FERS account holders is $198,000.
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