Trump administration notifies 1,000 EPA employees they could be laid off 'immediately'
“As a probationary/ trial period employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you,” the email said. “The process for probationary removal is that you receive a notice of termination, and your employment is ended immediately.”
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday warned over 1,000 employees that they could be terminated at a moment's notice, because they are considered "probationary" since they have worked for the agency for under a year.
The email was the latest effort by President Donald Trump's administration to downsize the federal government. Dozens of Justice Department attorneys and FBI agents were already fired last month, and most federal employees were offered a buyout option if they resign by Feb. 6.
EPA employees are among those who can opt out of working for the government by resigning by next week. Those who take the deal will be allowed to retain benefits and be paid through September.
The email was sent to roughly 1,100 EPA employees who fell under the "probationary/trial" window, according to NBC News. But Marie Owens Powell, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, said the government would need cause to fire the employees.
“As a probationary/ trial period employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you,” the email said. “The process for probationary removal is that you receive a notice of termination, and your employment is ended immediately.”
Powell said no probationary or trial employee has been released so far, but if employees are terminated the union will “ensure there was a valid cause and the process was followed.”
The union president also noted that some employees who should not qualify for probation received the email, but that they believe the email was sent to those people by mistake.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.