{"id":1827,"date":"2026-01-07T14:23:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T19:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=1827"},"modified":"2026-01-07T21:41:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T02:41:48","slug":"mass-firings-of-federal-probationary-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/07\/mass-firings-of-federal-probationary-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"Mass Firings of Federal Probationary Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release<\/strong>:<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

TRO to Stop Mass Fir\u00adings and Seek Rein\u00adstate\u00adment of Fed\u00ader\u00adal Pro\u00adba\u00adtion\u00adary Employ\u00adees<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As part of an effort to reduce the size of the fed\u00ader\u00adal work\u00adforce, the Office of Per\u00adson\u00adnel Man\u00adage\u00adment (OPM) direct\u00aded fed\u00ader\u00adal agen\u00adcies to con\u00adduct mass ter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtions of pro\u00adba\u00adtion\u00adary employ\u00adees. Accord\u00ading to the law\u00adsuit, fed\u00ader\u00adal statutes and pro\u00adce\u00addures have reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions that require fed\u00ader\u00adal agen\u00adcies to pro\u00advide 60 days of advance notice to affect\u00aded employ\u00adees and states when con\u00adduct\u00ading reduc\u00adtions in force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plain\u00adtiffs argued in the law\u00adsuit that the OPM did this reduc\u00adtion sud\u00adden\u00adly and with\u00adout any advanced notice, ignor\u00ading this 60 day require\u00adment. The agen\u00adcies that were giv\u00aden these orders by the OPM fol\u00adlowed through on the direc\u00adtive, fir\u00ading employ\u00adees by the hun\u00addreds and thou\u00adsands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release from March 7, 2025, \u201cAttor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong, along\u00adside a coali\u00adtion of 20 attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal, moved for a tem\u00adpo\u00adrary restrain\u00ading order for numer\u00adous fed\u00ader\u00adal agen\u00adcies, ask\u00ading that a fed\u00ader\u00adal court order them to cease the ille\u00adgal mass lay\u00adoffs of fed\u00ader\u00adal pro\u00adba\u00adtion\u00adary employ\u00adees, and to rein\u00adstate those who have been fired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tong and the oth\u00ader attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal con\u00adsid\u00adered these lay\u00adoffs ille\u00adgal and said that they are caus\u00ading irrepara\u00adble harm to Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and the oth\u00ader states involved in the coali\u00adtion. In the press release, Tong says the lay\u00adoffs \u201care strain\u00ading state resources to sup\u00adport recent\u00adly unem\u00adployed work\u00aders, and to review and adju\u00addi\u00adcate claims of unem\u00adploy\u00adment assis\u00adtance. More\u00adover, the unlaw\u00adful lay\u00adoffs will harm state finances and under\u00admine vital state-fed\u00ader\u00adal partnerships\u2026In today\u2019s motion, Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong is seek\u00ading an imme\u00addi\u00adate rul\u00ading by the Court to: rein\u00adstate unlaw\u00adful\u00adly fired employ\u00adees, stop fur\u00adther sim\u00adi\u00adlar ter\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtions, and iden\u00adti\u00adfy affect\u00aded employ\u00adees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

March 6, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1:25-cv-00748<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of Mary\u00adland et al v. Unit\u00aded States Depart\u00adment of Agri\u00adcul\u00adture et al<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

**Plaintiffs: 20 states and D.C.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n