Court Rulings Slow, But Don’t Stop, Mass Firings in US Government Agencies- wna24

The Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul the federal workforce are continuing despite legal hurdles and growing uncertainty among government employees. Tens of thousands of workers have already been dismissed, and more job cuts are expected in the coming weeks.

For many federal employees, the ongoing restructuring has created a climate of fear and instability. A recently resigned IRS worker summed up the situation in two words: “The uncertainty.” Speaking to Axios, he described the confusion caused by orders to return to office spaces that did not exist, rumors of layoffs, and mounting pressure to resign.

The IRS, one of the agencies undergoing major downsizing, plans to cut its workforce by half, according to The New York Times. The fear of sudden job loss has led many employees to consider leaving on their own terms rather than waiting for termination.

Despite pushback from the courts, the administration’s layoffs are proceeding. A federal judge recently ruled that an order from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to fire probationary workers was unlawful. However, the ruling did not require agencies to reinstate dismissed employees due to technical legal issues, including the plaintiffs’ standing in the case.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been ordered to reinstate nearly 6,000 workers. However, even as some agencies are forced to reinstate employees, others are moving ahead with broader layoffs.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning a major workforce reduction, aiming to return to 2019 staffing levels. If implemented, this could result in up to 83,000 job losses.

These large-scale layoffs could prove difficult to reverse, leaving many government workers in a precarious position. “Federal workers are in a terrible spot, with no severance, no benefits, and for some, unemployment insurance may be tricky to secure,” said Michele Evermore, a senior fellow at the National Academy for Social Insurance, as per the report.

While legal challenges may delay some dismissals, the administration’s restructuring of the federal workforce is moving forward. For many employees, the question remains: Will they have a job next week?