A federal board has ordered the reinstatement of thousands of Agriculture Department employees who were recently terminated during an aggressive federal workforce reduction initiated by the Trump administration. Targeting probationary employees, who have fewer protections, the board found reasonable grounds that the firings violated personnel laws. Currently affecting approximately 5,000 to 6,000 employees, this ruling suggests that similar cases across other agencies could lead to further reinstatements if evidence of improper conduct is provided. The order highlights the necessity for agencies to follow due process, even for probationary staff.
Cathy Harris, the chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board, stated she had reasonable grounds to believe that agencies violated a law regarding proper personnel practices.
The board’s decision, which currently affects around 5,000 to 6,000 probationary employees at the Agriculture Department, emphasizes that agencies must adhere to regulations when firing such workers.
Probationary employees, with fewer protections, were seen as easy targets in the Trump administration’s attempt to reduce the federal workforce.
The ruling signifies potential for other improperly fired probationary employees to be reinstated if evidence against their agencies is presented.
#federal-workforce #employment-law #agriculture-department #trump-administration #probationary-employees
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