Supreme Court blocks federal employee reinstatement

Supreme Court blocks order to reinstate thousands of fired federal employees

QUESTIONING HOW LONG BEFORE THEY ARE REMOVED AGAIN. IT IS THE MOST UNCERTAIN THING I HAVE SEEN IN MY 20 YEARS IN GOVERNMENT. BETH WOOLWORTH SAYS THE LAST MONTH HAS BEEN A ROLLER COASTER FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES. IN FEBRUARY, THOUSANDS OF PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES AT FEDERAL AGENCIES WERE CUT AS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ATTEMPTED TO THIN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE. LAST WEEK, A JUDGE RULED THE EMPLOYEES LET GO WOULD NEED TO BE REINSTATED. FEDERAL AGENCIES THEY WORK FOR SAY THAT IS NO SMALL FEAT. THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE ONBOARDING PROCESS AGAIN, AS IF THEY WERE BRAND NEW EMPLOYEES, JUST TO POTENTIALLY HAVE THE INJUNCTION REVERSED BY AN APPELLATE COURT. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CALLED THE INJUNCTION, QUOTE, ENTIRELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL. YOU CANNOT HAVE A LOW LEVEL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE FILING AN INJUNCTION TO USURP THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THE TAXPAYER MONEY THAT IS BEING SPENT BECAUSE OF THIS, IT NEVER HAD TO HAPPEN AT THE IRS. IN MASSACHUSETTS, WHERE A NUMBER OF GRANITE STATERS WORK. THE UNION SAYS EMPLOYEES REINSTATED WERE PLACED ON PAID LEAVE, AND IT’S UNCLEAR HOW LONG THAT LEAVE WILL LAST OR IF THEY WILL BE LET GO AGAIN. IT’S SUCH A SHAME THAT THIS IS ALL HAPPENED. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE LIKE I’VE SAID BEFORE, YOU COME TO FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE IT’S A SECURE JOB AND THERE’S NO JOB SECURITY ANY LONGER. NOW, THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT WERE LET GO LAST MONTH WILL RECEIVE BACK PAY FOR THE TIME THEY WERE OUT OF WORK. ANOTHER PART OF THE JUDGE’S RULING WILL PROHIBIT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM CONDUCTING ANY MORE MASS FIRINGS WITHOUT GIVING NOTIC

Supreme Court blocks order to reinstate thousands of fired federal employees

The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked an order for the Trump administration to return to work thousands of federal employees who were let go in mass firings aimed at dramatically downsizing the federal government.The justices acted in the administration’s emergency appeal of a ruling by a federal judge in California ordering that 16,000 probationary employees be reinstated while a lawsuit plays out because their firings didn’t follow federal law.The effect of the high court’s order will keep employees in six federal agencies on paid administrative leave for now. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have kept the judge's order in place.A second lawsuit, filed in Maryland, also resulted in an order blocking the firings at those same six agencies, plus roughly a dozen more. But that order only applies in the 19 states and the District of Columbia that sued the administration.The Justice Department is separately appealing the Maryland order.At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since Trump took office, the lawsuits claim, though the government has not confirmed that number.U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that the terminations were improperly directed by the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director. He ordered rehiring at the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury.His order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations that argued they’d be affected by the reduced manpower.Alsup, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, expressed frustration with what he called the government’s attempt to sidestep laws and regulations by firing probationary workers with fewer legal protections.He said he was appalled that employees were told they were being fired for poor performance despite receiving glowing evaluations just months earlier.The administration has insisted that the agencies themselves directed the firings and they “have since decided to stand by those terminations,�� Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court.

WASHINGTON —

The justices acted in the administration’s emergency appeal of a ruling by a federal judge in California ordering that 16,000 probationary employees be reinstated while a lawsuit plays out because their firings didn’t follow federal law.

The effect of the high court’s order will keep employees in six federal agencies on paid administrative leave for now. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have kept the judge's order in place.

A second lawsuit, filed in Maryland, also resulted in an order blocking the firings at those same six agencies, plus roughly a dozen more. But that order only applies in the 19 states and the District of Columbia that sued the administration.

The Justice Department is separately appealing the Maryland order.

At least 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since Trump took office, the lawsuits claim, though the government has not confirmed that number.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco ruled that the terminations were improperly directed by the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director. He ordered rehiring at the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury.

His order came in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations that argued they’d be affected by the reduced manpower.

Alsup, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, expressed frustration with what he called the government’s attempt to sidestep laws and regulations by firing probationary workers with fewer legal protections.

He said he was appalled that employees were told they were being fired for poor performance despite receiving glowing evaluations just months earlier.

The administration has insisted that the agencies themselves directed the firings and they “have since decided to stand by those terminations,�� Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court.

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Supreme Court blocks order to reinstate thousands of fired federal employees

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