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There is so little thought to these layoffs it’s breathtaking — they are firing all probationary period workers first because they have fewer protections, but doing so en masse with little to no view as to whether those workers fill a difficult to replace skill set or a specific area of need or are replacements for folks about to or that have retired.
“… Musk’s team has begun cutting staff by dismissing workers in their probationary periods, which, depending on the agency, can last one or two years. These workers typically have little protection from being fired without cause, and they amount to about 7 percent of the government’s civilian workforce of more than 2 million.
About 10 percent of the FBI’s workforce is in its probationary period, for instance, as is 6.5 percent of the Internal Revenue Service.
Some agencies have submitted to OPM lists of probationary employees that exceed 45 percent of their entire workforces, said one person familiar with the issue, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet made public. …”
And it isn’t really about cost savings, it is about control:
“… Even cutting 1 in every 4 government workers would only reduce federal spending by about 1 percent. But if it makes it easier for the Trump administration to implement other changes without resistance, the layoffs could provide the basis for much bigger unilateral spending cuts, said Jessica Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a right-leaning think tank. …”
“… Musk’s team has begun cutting staff by dismissing workers in their probationary periods, which, depending on the agency, can last one or two years. These workers typically have little protection from being fired without cause, and they amount to about 7 percent of the government’s civilian workforce of more than 2 million.
About 10 percent of the FBI’s workforce is in its probationary period, for instance, as is 6.5 percent of the Internal Revenue Service.
Some agencies have submitted to OPM lists of probationary employees that exceed 45 percent of their entire workforces, said one person familiar with the issue, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not yet made public. …”
And it isn’t really about cost savings, it is about control:
“… Even cutting 1 in every 4 government workers would only reduce federal spending by about 1 percent. But if it makes it easier for the Trump administration to implement other changes without resistance, the layoffs could provide the basis for much bigger unilateral spending cuts, said Jessica Riedl, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a right-leaning think tank. …”
