A top watchdog in the federal government said that the mass firings of probationary employees appear illegal, and asked a specialized labor board to pause the terminations of six employees in six different federal agencies so the watchdog organization can investigate.
Hampton Dellinger, in a federal whistleblower protection entity called the Office of Special Counsel, made the announcement Monday. Just over a week ago, the probationary employees and their lawyers asked him to go to bat for them before the Merit Systems Protection Board, which protects federal workers against partisan politics and illegal employment practices.
"The language in (the workers') termination notices is quite similar and does not describe any specific issues with any of the (the workers') performance or conduct," says Dellinger's request to reinstate an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Notably, only three of the notices mention performance or conduct at all as a justification for the termination, and none provide any detail or individualized assessment."
Dellinger wrote in a statement that the terminations appear "contrary to a reasonable reading of the law," particularly the law about reductions in force. Federal law generally requires 60 days' notice for a reduction in force and prohibits probationary employees from being fired for reasons unrelated to performance or conduct.
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