Defense
Lawmakers to DOGE: Use a scalpel, not a sledgehammer at the Pentagon
Cutting first and asking questions later could hurt national security, House Armed Services committee members say.
Oversight
Musk might have violated federal employee ethics law, lawyers say
Enforcement of the Hatch Act, which restricts the political activity of government workers, has historically been weak against high-ranking officials.
Workforce
As Defense preps for mass firings, Hegseth says a hiring freeze and more firings are coming
SecDef says a "reevaluation of our probationary workforce" will be followed by a wider dismissal of "redundancies" and "underperformers."
Workforce
Judge denies federal unions’ request to block mass probationary firings
The federal judge said in a preliminary ruling that the National Treasury Employees Union likely must first bring their challenge to the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
Workforce
‘Salting the earth’: Trump ends presidential management fellowships and federal executive boards
The move to kill a key pipeline for aspiring civil servants and regional agency councils reflects a desire to make it impossible to rebuild the federal bureaucracy, experts said.
Workforce
Social Security offers 40 probationary feds reassignments to avert blanket firings
Around 40 Social Security Administration employees were given eight hours—or until 4:30 p.m. Thursday—to decide whether to accept reassignments to a field or hearing office, teleservice center or payment center and avoid being swept up in the Trump administration’s purge of the federal workforce.
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Pay & Benefits
What happens to my insurance when I leave the federal government?
Most of your benefits can be continued in retirement -- if certain conditions are met.
Workforce
Trump’s plan to slash the federal workforce isn’t the first, it’s just the worst
COMMENTARY | The triple-meat-cleaver approach to workforce “reform.”
Workforce
IRS expected to fire 6,700 employees beginning Thursday
The terminations will walk back much of the progress IRS, which is in the midst of tax season, has made in recent years to increase its workforce.
Oversight
Independent agencies targeted by Trump’s latest executive order
A regulatory expert said the directive will likely be challenged in court, as Congress has largely shielded some of the affected agencies from involvement by the White House.
Pay & Benefits
Senate Dem reintroduces Equal COLA Act, and more
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Workforce
Some fired probationary feds are receiving unexpected emails: 'You're re-hired'
Some offices within federal agencies are backtracking on their recent firing sprees.
Transition
Longtime GSA employee quits rather than give Musk ally access to Notify.gov
The leader of the Technology Transformation Services at GSA wanted access to a text messaging platform for government agencies.
Workforce
Thousands join class actions as fired feds weigh options to challenge Trump's moves
Former federal probationary employees are hopeful they can prove their dismissals were not actually performance based, as their agencies claim.
Oversight
Judge temporarily blocks Trump from firing Democratic member of federal employee appeals board
Trump has tried to remove Democratic officials in positions that safeguard civil service protections.
Transition
Despite forcing more federal employees to work in-person, the Trump administration is trying to slash government office space
The Biden administration also sought to shrink the federal real estate portfolio.
Workforce
168 employees fired at the National Science Foundation
“Panch has been conveniently absent throughout this whole time,” said an internal email an NSF worker sent to fellow colleagues, referring to Sethuraman Panchanathan, NSF’s director.
Workforce
Dozens of employees at the U.S. DOGE Service dismissed
Personnel from Elon Musk's efficiency service were the latest to be dismissed.
Management
Louis DeJoy to step down as USPS postmaster general
The postal leader brought a spotlight, controversy and a plan to save the agency to his role, but is now starting the process to find a successor.
Transition