The Merit Systems Protection Board ordered the reinstatement of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 employees from the Agriculture Department who were recently fired as part of a concerted downsizing effort during the Trump administration. These employees, being probationary staff, have limited protections compared to more established workers but were allegedly terminated improperly. Cathy Harris, chair of the board, indicated that there were grounds to believe that agency procedures regarding termination were not properly followed. This ruling could pave the way for similar actions against other agencies, pending further evidence of regulatory violations.
Cathy Harris, the chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board, indicated that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the Agriculture Department violated proper personnel practices.
Despite having fewer protections, probationary employees still require agencies to follow specific rules when terminating their employment, such as documenting alleged poor performance.
The order from the board suggests that there may be broader implications for other fired probationary employees if similar cases arise from other agencies.
The decision by the Merit Systems Protection Board mandates that thousands of Agriculture Department employees be reinstated while their cases are examined, reflecting concerns about misuse of termination laws.
#employment-law #federal-workforce #trump-administration #probationary-employees #merit-systems-protection-board
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