Trump Administration Mass Federal Worker Firings

The “Fork in the Road” Offer

In late January 2025, the Office of Personnel Management sent an email to approximately two million federal employees offering what it called a “deferred resignation” deal. Employees were given until February 6 to accept a buyout package that would keep them on the payroll through September 2025 while immediately relieving them of their duties. The email, which borrowed Elon Musk’s signature management style from his takeover of Twitter, told workers that if they did not accept, they should expect significant changes to their roles. The administration estimated that between 60,000 and 75,000 workers accepted the offer.

Firing Probationary Employees

The administration simultaneously moved to fire tens of thousands of probationary federal employees, those who had been in their positions for less than a year or two and lacked full civil service protections. Agencies across the government, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Internal Revenue Service, the Forest Service, and the Department of Education, received orders to terminate probationary workers. Many employees received dismissal notices with little warning, and several agencies fired workers who had received positive performance reviews.

Legal Challenges and Court Orders

The mass firings triggered a wave of lawsuits from federal employee unions and affected workers. Multiple federal judges issued temporary restraining orders blocking the firings at various agencies, ruling that the administration may have violated federal employment law by terminating workers without following required procedures. A federal judge ordered the reinstatement of fired probationary workers at several agencies, though the administration was slow to comply and contested the rulings. The legal battles highlighted fundamental questions about the scope of presidential authority over the civil service.

Impact on Government Services

The rapid workforce reduction had immediate consequences for government operations. Veterans reported delays in processing disability claims and healthcare appointments. Tax season was disrupted at the IRS. National parks operated with skeleton crews. Scientists at agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were let go in the middle of critical research projects. Critics warned that the indiscriminate nature of the cuts, targeting new employees regardless of their role or performance, was degrading the government’s capacity to serve the public.