Probationary federal workers who were let go on Thursday as part of the Trump administration’s mass dismissal of government employees voiced their shock and anger, asserting that these actions will impede the government’s ability to deliver services effectively.
President Trump is swiftly moving to downsize the U.S. federal government—alone the largest employer in the nation—claiming he is cutting excess spending while striving to align the civil workforce more closely with his administration’s policies. Employees in a probationary period typically have less than one year in their roles and lack civil service protections.
Those federal workers who received termination notices on Thursday share that they were told through generic emails about their job loss, with minimal guidance from their supervisors. Many of these individuals opted for public service due to their desire to serve the community, be it providing safeguards against exploitative financial services or assisting veterans.
“Each of us received notifications referencing probationary regulations stating we are being dismissed because ‘you are not suitable for continued employment as your skills do not align with the agency’s requirements,'” conveyed Elizabeth Aniskevich, an attorney with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to CBS News.
A termination letter reviewed by CBS News from a former employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs indicated that their dismissal was due to “not demonstrating that further employment at the agency serves the public interest.”
The VA employee, who had extensive prior federal experience, expressed disappointment upon finding out he was categorized as a probationary worker after joining the Veterans Affairs last fall, which reset his prior employment history.
“Essentially, the termination letter clarified that I was a probationary employee, outlining my appeal rights, but stating that my continued employment was no longer in the public interest,” noted the VA employee, remaining anonymous due to concerns over his employability in future government roles. “I returned home—my wife and I had joked for a couple of weeks, ‘Do I still have a job?’—and I told her, and then I was done. It’s devastating.”
Another VA employee, whose performance review had rated them as “outstanding,” expressed that receiving an impersonal termination letter was distressing.
“It feels like a copy-and-paste mass firing with no regard for the individuals involved, the human toll,” remarked Greg House, 34, a disabled veteran who lost his role at the VA’s public affairs office in Salt Lake City, where he started in March 2024. “The notion that the federal workforce is excessively bloated seems more like a scapegoat than anything else. Nobody joins the federal government seeking wealth.”
The White House press office has not yet responded to a comment request.
Legal Challenges from Unions
Five unions representing government employees have initiated legal action against Mr. Trump and other administration officials concerning the dismissal of probationary workers, claiming that the actions are illegal for violating established procedures for conducting “reductions in force,” which is a formal approach used by government bodies to lay off employees.
Reductions in force, or RIFs, can be prompted by various issues, such as insufficient work or funding for federal employees, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Mr. Trump’s directive “mandates agencies to quickly engage in RIFs for none of the allowed reasons but instead for the purpose of ‘eradicating waste, bloat, and insularity,'” asserts the lawsuit, referencing the president’s executive order from February 11 for extensive layoffs in the federal workforce.
Some analysts are contesting the notion that the federal workforce is overly large, highlighting that federal employment has remained largely stagnant since 1980. Prior to the dismissals, various agencies and services were already dealing with staffing shortages, particularly within the Veterans Health Administration.
Consequences for Services
The VA employee terminated on Thursday critiqued Mr. Trump’s assertion that these layoffs would enhance governmental efficiency, pointing out that his department had been attempting to fill several vacant positions while already overwhelmed with work.
“We are already under-resourced, so cutting jobs won’t help,” he added, noting that such layoffs would have a direct effect on veterans. “We have ongoing projects aimed at constructing and repairing facilities to support veterans — we’re already behind schedule.”
A Food and Drug Administration employee—who also requested anonymity as she is still in her probation period and has yet to receive a termination letter—voiced her worries that the dismissals would hinder vital operations, both through the loss of skilled workers and lowered employee morale.
“Our teams are already operating at a lean capacity—individuals are facing immense workloads,” she stated. “This will delay processes such as drug approvals … and will have dire implications for access to medications and generics.”
Since many of the probationary employees are younger, the layoffs could worsen long-term challenges within the federal workforce, where there are twice as many employees over the age of 60 than those under 30, noted Elizabeth Linos, an associate professor of public policy and management at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
“This will worsen the existing talent crisis, especially since probationary employees tend to be younger and possess the skills necessary for a modern government,” she said.
Layoff Locations
As of May 2024, the latest data available indicates approximately 216,000 federal employees have been in their positions for less than one year, according to U.S. Office of Personnel Management data.
The agency with the highest number of probationary staff is the VA, which has about 56,000 employees fitting that criteria, per OPM statistics. The VA stated on Friday that it had let go of over 1,000 staff. They have not commented on whether further cuts are anticipated.
“Make no mistake—Trump is targeting probationary employees because it is a straightforward task, not for the benefit of veterans or cost-effectiveness,” asserted Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, in a statement to CBS News. “Essentially, it is an egregious waste of taxpayer money to dismiss individuals that the department has just spent months recruiting, vetting, and training.”
Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services anticipate that the bulk of the agency’s nearly 5,200 probationary staff will be dismissed on Friday, February 14, as part of the Trump administration’s initiative to eliminate nearly all probationary roles, according to a recording from a National Institutes of Health departmental meeting obtained by the Associated Press.
During that meeting, an NIH office director informed staff that some probationary personnel with specialized capabilities might retain their positions. Those who would be terminated were expected to receive emails by Friday afternoon, as reported by the AP.
Among those affected are nearly 1,300 probationary employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, equating to about one-tenth of the agency’s total workforce.
—Contributions by CBS News Investigative Unit Director Matthew Mosk.
