Fired workers return to federal agencies — but are put on paid leave

As a result of recent court orders, federal employees are returning to their jobs — but are being put on paid leave.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told The Hill that as a result of a court restraining order, it was rescinding the terminations of 419 employees.

The spokesperson said that these employees are “mostly in an administrative leave status.”

The Hill also obtained a notice that the Commerce Department sent to a staffer it had fired. The notice said that the employee will be reinstated, but that for the time being the employee will be placed in “paid, non-duty status.”

The employee will remain on paid leave until the court case is resolved or until the department decides otherwise, according to the notice viewed by The Hill. Employees are subject to being fired again depending on the ultimate outcome of the case.

It’s not immediately clear how many people received such notices or whether other agencies were similarly placing employees on paid leave. A source also told The Hill that some of their colleagues at Commerce had been rehired but put on leave.

Tens of thousands of staffers across the government were laid off after a directive to fire workers who were considered “probationary” — those who were relatively new to their agency or who had recently been promoted.

The Hill previously reported that hundreds at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is inside the Department of Commerce, and about 400 at the EPA were let go as part of this purge.

The Commerce Department and the White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s requests for comment.

The latest news comes after a judge ruled last week that probationary workers had to be reinstated.

However, more firings are expected in the weeks ahead, as the Trump administration seeks additional staff cuts. Another 1,000 workers are slated to be cut at NOAA, while the National Park Service could lose 30 percent of its payroll.

Julia Shapero contributed.

Updated at 7:13 p.m. EDT

Topics

Rehired probationary workers can't be placed on administrative leave, judge says

A federal judge told the Trump administration late Monday that fired probationary workers must be returned to their old jobs, not just placed on administrative leave, as many departments have been ...
The Hill - 7h
Appeals court denies Trump's bid to immediately reverse fired federal workers' reinstatement

A federal appeals court in a 2-1 decision Monday declined to immediately block a judge’s order that the Trump administration reinstate fired probationary employees at six federal agencies. The new ...
The Hill - 1d
Judge orders 6 federal agencies to offer to reinstate fired probationary employees

A federal judge has ordered six federal agencies to offer to reinstate probationary employees who were fired as part of the Trump administration's cuts through the Office of Personnel Management. ...
CBS News - 5d
VOA journalists put on administrative leave after Trump axes parent agency

Journalists at Voice of America (VOA) were put on administrative leave on Saturday, a day after President Trump signed an executive order aimed at eliminating the U.S. Agency for Global Media ...
The Hill - 3d
Judges order Trump to rehire thousands of fired federal workers

Two federal courts are ruling that the firings of probationary federal workers were improper and that tens of thousands of those employees must be immediately reinstated. The Trump administration ...
NBC News - 4d
Records show many federal workers were fired and rehired at 18 agencies

More than 24,000 federal probationary employees who worked across 18 agencies were fired as part of President Trump's efforts to reduce the size of government.
CBS News - 1h
EPA eliminating environmental justice jobs

The positions will be eliminated "immediately," according to a memo by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.
CBS News - 6d
Judge orders some federal agencies to reinstate thousands of probationary workers

A federal judge ordered that the departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury reinstate probationary employees who were terminated last month.
NBC News - 5d
Judge orders 6 federal agencies to rehire fired probationary workers

U.S. District Judge William Alsup extended relief to fired workers at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior and Treasury.
CBS News - 5d