A federal judge has ordered the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to rescind directives telling agencies to “promptly determine” whether certain employees should be retained, ruling the instructions as “illegal.” The ruling does not reinstate dismissed employees, but instructs OPM to communicate with the Department of Defense that the directives are invalid. The judge also ordered a hearing with Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell to testify on the matter, emphasizing that OPM does not have the authority to hire or fire employees within other agencies.
The judge referred to probationary employees as the “life blood” of government and expressed concern over the government’s position on firing them at will. An attorney for the plaintiffs argued that the government should not operate in secrecy when issuing orders to fire employees and questioned whether the OPM’s directives were requests or orders. The government suggested impacted employees go through other channels to address their employment status.
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of employees could have been affected by the directives from the Trump administration, but the exact number of terminations is unclear. The ruling by the judge highlights the importance of proper procedures and accountability in government decision-making regarding employee retention and termination.
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