5mo ago

Trump administration lays off most probationary staff and warns big cuts to come

www.theguardian.com

Summary

The Trump administration ordered federal agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees, affecting potentially hundreds of thousands of workers.

This follows Trump’s executive order mandating large-scale workforce reductions. Elon Musk advocates for eliminating entire agencies.

Layoffs have already hit agencies like the VA and Education Department, sparking criticism.

Further deep cuts are planned, with hiring restricted to one for every four departures.

11 comments

Hmmm the economy is driven by consumer spending. Unemployed people don’t have money to spend. Dumbass.
- Unemployed people have an easier time starting a revolution. Idle hands are the devil's plaything.
  
  The typical fascist playbook has the leadership starting a hot war of aggression on foreign soil and putting all of those potential revolutionary hands on the battlefield.
- This is, I think, the most obvious and one of the most immediate problems of Musk's sledgehammer approach. Amazes me how rarely it's said aloud.
I cry for the ones who voted for Harris.
I laugh at the ones who voted for trump or stayed home.
The decision on probationary workers, who generally have less than a year on the job, came from the office of personnel management (OPM), which serves as a human resources department for the federal government.
Why do so many people with no idea how the federal government is structured keep trying to talk about it like they have a clue?
Obviously not as bad as the people running it not having a clue, but it's incredibly hypocritical for people just as ignorant to talk shit.
OPM is it's own agency.
They terminated their probationary employees, but they cannot fire anyone else's.
- The article could be incorrect, but they state that OPM is directing all agencies to terminate their probationary employees. OPM is the source of all these agency directives that come from exec orders. The exec order is created and then OPM issues “guidance” to all the other agencies about what they are required to do per the order.
  So no, this is not just OPM, it’s every agency that has not been exempted (based on the memo, which we haven’t seen yet). The RTO guidance and DEI removal guidance also came from OPM. There is some per-agency leeway provided (again we’ll have to see the memo) but my understanding is agencies generally have to comply with OPM direction unless it’s unlawful (this may or may not be, I don’t know).
  
  but they state that OPM is directing all agencies
  Maybe I just have whiplash...
  We went from pretending the president has zero control over federal agencies, to a president can order them to do anything in a matter of weeks.
  Neither are correct. But you'd never know if you just listened to billionaire owned media.
  You might not even notice when something is good for workers, it's impossible. When it's good for owners there's always a way.

11 comments