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

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