Mass firings begin as Trump and Musk plan to shrink US federal workforce
World | The firings mark the first under President Donald Trump's administration as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency aims to cut the federal workforce.
Mass firings at US federal agencies have begun with terminations of probationary employees at the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration.
According to a CNN report citing federal employees and union sources, the firings mark the first under President Donald Trump's administration as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency aims to cut the federal workforce. Until now, federal employees across government agencies have only been asked to go on paid leave.
Also read | US agencies Trump, Musk and DOGE have been trying to dismantle and downsize. Here's the full list
This comes the same day a federal judge allowed the deferred resignation programme to go into effect. Around 75,000 federal employees accepted the administration’s offer to leave their jobs in exchange for eight months' severance.
Scores of firings at the Department of Education
The Department of Education employees were informed of their termination through a letter stating, “The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest,” reported CNN.
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The firings at the department have affected employees across the agency, including the general counsel’s office, the Federal Student Aid office, and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, a union source told CNN.
Also read | Trump grants Musk veto power over federal hirings, orders agencies to comply with DOGE directives
A similar letter was sent to Small Business Administration employees on Tuesday (Feb 11), informing them of their termination.
On Friday (Feb 7) and Monday (Feb 10), probationary employees across the agency received an unsigned draft notice of termination, according to CNN. However, another email was sent advising employees that the draft notice “was sent in error - and as such, it is not currently in effect.”
“If you are in receipt of the initial notice, your employment has not been terminated as was erroneously indicated in the initial notice,” the email added.
The probation employees then received the termination notice the following day, according to the union representing the employees.
The firings are part of the administration’s plan to downsize the federal workforce. On Tuesday (Feb 11), Trump signed an executive order directing agency heads to start preparing for layoffs and expanding the role of the Department of Government Efficiency.
(With inputs from agencies)
