Posted on 02/15/2025 5:37:51 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
NEW YORK (AP) — Workers across the country responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration ‘s aggressive effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections.
While much of the administration’s attention was focused on disrupting bureaucracy in Washington, the broad-based effort to slash the government workforce was impacting a far wider swath of workers. As layoff notices were sent out agency by agency, federal employees from Michigan to Florida were left reeling from being told that their services were no longer needed.
In a sign of how chaotic the firings have been, some who received layoff notices had already accepted the administration’s deferred resignation offer, under which they were supposed to be paid until Sept. 30 if they agreed to quit, raising questions about whether others who signed the deal would nonetheless be fired.
“This has been slash and burn,” said Nicholas Detter, who had been working in Kansas as a natural resource specialist, helping farmers reduce soil and water erosion, until he was fired by email late Thursday night. He said there seemed to be little thought about how employees and the farmers and ranchers he helped would be impacted.
“None of this has been done thoughtfully or carefully,” he said.
The layoffs are unlikely to yield significant deficit savings. The government spends about $270 billion annually compensating civilian federal workers, according to the Congressional Budget Office, with about 60% going to workers at the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.
Even if the government cut all of those workers, it would still run a deficit of over $1 trillion.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
And both AP readers actually believe this bull cr....er...bull Obama stuff.
“Even if the government cut all of those workers, it would still run a deficit of over $1 trillion.”
That right there says all that need be said about modern journalists.
Get the free-riders off the Taxpayer gravy train, BEFORE they become fixtures and place-holders of Civil Service (guaranteed job for life), or phony Union Members (the money-laundering scheme).
“None of this has been done thoughtfully or carefully,”
I believe that four years of careful thought was involved — 1/6/21 to 1/20/25.
Oh, you have no idea.
No one cares. Don't go away mad, just go away.
The DC cabal laughed while at their cocktail parties as the jobs in flyover-country disappeared due to their policies.
Meanwhile their bank accounts, especially during Covid when the graft went into overdrive, grew fat off the pain of middle/working-class consumers. I don’t give a da#n if every single one ends up homeless & bankrupt. They can get in line behind Helene victims or the homeless veterans who have been shafted for decades.
It's been four years in the planning. Of course it is chaos. No one in this agencies can keep his head about him. No one can say-okay what do we need to do to serve the public in good faith, and how should we be organized to do that. None of them can get ahead of this and say - okay, here is what we need to look like, here is who we need to keep [none of them would be on an honest list], and here are skills we need to go out and get while we fire everyone else.
Instead they are engaged in a RIF who can I bump exercise, which is just a way of arrogantly preserving the most deeply buried in and does nothing to organize those departments and agencies that should not just be entirely X'ed around a value adding public need.
“Layoff” means (at least used to mean) ‘it’s slow, not enough work…you’re laid off until business picks up and we will bring you back when we need you’
These people are being fired because they’re superfluous and useless
Gee… you mean the (formerly) Untouchables now get to experience what the rest of us working stiffs have lived with over the course of our career lifetimes?
That’s a shame…/s
Better learn to code.
Yup—it is so obvious these journalists have never tried to run a small business—or do anything important in the real world.
Budget cutting is like emergency medicine.
You fix the biggest crisis first—and then move on to the next biggest issue.
When you are finished you have done “all of the above” and hopefully saved the patient, the business, the solvency of the government, whatever.
They shouldn’t be surprised; they were warned this was coming if they didn’t take the separation offer. They chose poorly.
This reminds me of an interview of a federal worker who was laid off during the Reagan presidency. At the time the idea that a federal employee could be laid off was unthinkable. So, here’s this limp wristed flamboyant guy waving his hands as he spoke, saying, “I have no idea what I’ll do. I’ve never had an actual job.”
I called a guy I knew who worked at a government agency. He was charged with dealing with public complaints and questions for his agency. It went to voicemail. Later I mentioned it and he said, “Oh, if I see a number I don’t recognize I don’t answer it.” And his job was...what?
That’s much of my experience dealing with government in one anecdote.
And delight and joy takeover as most Americans cheer people losing jobs that they aren’t doing and just getting paid for.
Does the AP actually think the American public views tax payer funded largesse sympathetically?
87,000 IRS agents? Embedded ticks. The numbers were supposed to protect them while they “resisted”.
Step 1) Get rid of those who WON’T cut spending.
Why are the workers “confused” by the fact that their employer is bankrupt?
Keystone pipeline workers actually were producing a product and were summarily fired and I’ll bet many of these complainers cheered. No tears here for these.
(probationary)
These would not be offered a buy-out
probationary are relatively new employees - can be over a year working and not protected
To the poor (ha) workers, welcome to our world.
The lingering question remains. If you are all DC government workers, why are you spread out all over the country?
EC
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