In light of the Trump administration’s attempts to reduce government spending, FOX Business has learned that some employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have received a letter from the agency alerting them that they could be fired. According to the email examined by FOX Business, the email was sent to 1,100 EPA employees on Wednesday informing them that they were placed on probationary status or were in a trial period as employees and may be fired right away.
Only those who have served in the military or have one or more years of prior civilian duty are instructed to reply to an EPA email address; However, it cautions that “your probationary or trial period status is not determined by confirming that one or more of these categories applies to you.” The status of each employee will be decided separately. “As a probationary/trial employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you pursuant to 5 CFR ยง 315.804,” the message stated. “The process for probationary removal is that you receive a notice of termination, and your employment is ended immediately.”
According to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations, EPA employees who are deemed to be on probationary status or in a trial period may be able to appeal their termination to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Whether EPA workers are entitled to challenge their dismissal “will depend on whether you meet the definition of a ’employee’ under the law.” … if you fulfill the conditions of any OPM rule that gives you the ability to appeal,” the email clarified. The Trump administration is attempting to reduce the federal workforce as part of a cost-cutting drive led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and bringing employees on telework programs back into the office. This is the context of the EPA’s email alerting probationary and trial period employees of their possible termination. OPM offered buyouts to certain federal employees in a government-wide email on Tuesday.
The program allows federal employees to opt out of in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025, and retains full benefits and compensation regardless of workload. Even though they won’t have to work during the deferral period, federal employees who choose for the buyout and postponed resignation will still collect personal leave and vacation days that will be paid out at their final resignation date. During that time, they can obtain a second employment and continue to accumulate federal retirement benefits. Military members of the armed services, the US Postal Service, jobs in immigration enforcement and national security, and any other employment expressly banned are not eligible for the buyouts, and any other roles that the federal employees’ employer has expressly forbidden.
“The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes,” OPM clarified in a commonly asked questions document that was attached to the letter. “As a result of these changes (or for other reasons), you may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide you with sufficient time and economic security to plan for your future โ and have a nice vacation.”
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