The Blubber

The Trump administration expanded its efforts to terminate thousands of probationary federal employees on Thursday, directing agencies to proceed with layoffs during a conference call.

Targeting probationary workers—those employed for less than a year, or up to two years in some cases—has become a key strategy, as these employees have fewer job protections and limited ability to appeal their termination.

Federal employee unions are still assessing the full scope of the dismissals, which could be significant. According to the most recent 2024 data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), over 200,000 federal employees have been on the job for less than a year. OPM, which held Thursday’s call, has played a central role in coordinating the layoffs.

The latest terminations hit agencies such as the Departments of Energy and Veterans Affairs, following earlier dismissals at the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Small Business Administration. By Friday, additional layoffs had taken place at the Department of the Interior, affecting multiple bureaus.

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Until recently, affected employees had been placed on paid administrative leave. But Thursday’s directive marked a shift—earlier in the week, OPM had told agencies they weren’t required to fire all probationary workers, but should focus on those deemed underperforming.

“The probationary period is an extension of the job application process, not a guarantee of permanent employment,” an OPM spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. “Agencies are taking independent action in response to the recent hiring freeze and in support of the President’s broader efforts to restructure and streamline the federal government to better serve the American people.”

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have drastically reshaped the federal workforce, removing top officials and oversight bodies, dismantling key agencies, and offering voluntary resignation deals that have led to 77,000 employees leaving their positions.

The mass termination of probationary workers had been planned from Trump’s first day in office, when the acting OPM director issued a memo requiring all agencies to compile lists of their probationary staff. The January 20 directive noted that these employees were easier to fire.

Firings by Email and Video

Employees received their termination notices through emails, form letters, and video calls, according to sources who spoke with CNN.

At the Interior Department, staffers learned of the mass layoffs when colleagues suddenly received dismissal notices.