(VitalNews.org) – In a bombshell move, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have initiated a sweeping strategy to fire federal employees across multiple agencies.
This decisive action, which comes after a voluntary resignation phase, could lead to the departure of hundreds of thousands of workers.
Said phase allowed employees to resign while remaining on the payroll through September as part of a plan to streamline the federal workforce.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has advised federal agencies to terminate probationary employees.
The office emphasized that this initial employment phase does not guarantee permanent employment.
This directive aligns with President Trump’s broader efforts to restructure the federal government.
An OPM spokesperson stated that “the probationary period is a continuation of the job application process, not an entitlement for permanent employment.”
The impact of this initiative is already being felt across various agencies. The Department of Energy plans to lay off most or all of its 2,000 probationary employees.
Meanwhile, the Small Business Administration has terminated about 720 employees, roughly 20% of its workforce.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the dismissal of over 1,000 employees, and the U.S. Forest Service plans to terminate at least 3,400 employees.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins defended the decision, stating, “This was a tough decision, but ultimately it’s the right call to better support the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve.”
The administration’s goal is to reduce the federal workforce by 10%, exceeding the 77,000 employees who accepted voluntary resignation offers.
This initiative is part of a larger strategy to limit hiring and prioritize cuts in non-essential government functions.
President Trump has signed an executive order to limit hiring to one new employee for every four departures, further reinforcing the administration’s commitment to reducing government bloat.
President Trump has also been vocal about his stance on federal employees working from home.
He stated, “Nobody is gonna work from home. They are gonna be going out, they’re gonna play tennis, they’re gonna play golf, they’re gonna do a lot of things. They’re not working.”
Critics of the decision caution that targeting probationary employees may affect younger workers with potentially better skills.
In turn, supporters of the initiative see it as a necessary step to reduce government waste and inefficiency.
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