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Federal Employees Return to Work—On Paid Leave
Hundreds of federal employees recently laid off are back on the job, albeit on paid leave, following a court order. A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed that 419 terminated employees are being reinstated, mostly in administrative leave status. This follows a judge’s ruling last week that probationary workers be reinstated.
The Commerce Department also issued notices to reinstated staff, placing them on “paid, non-duty status” pending the resolution of the court case. Similar notices were reportedly received by probationary workers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
While the exact number of employees affected across all agencies remains unclear, sources suggest that the practice is widespread. This unusual situation stems from a recent directive to fire “probationary” employees – those relatively new to their agency or recently promoted. This led to layoffs of tens of thousands of federal workers, including hundreds at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and about 400 at the EPA.
While these employees are temporarily back on the payroll, their future remains uncertain. They are subject to dismissal again depending on the outcome of the ongoing legal battle. Furthermore, the Trump administration is reportedly planning additional staff cuts in the coming weeks, with potential layoffs of another 1,000 NOAA workers and a possible 30% payroll reduction at the National Park Service.