President Donald Trump's administration has move forward with its plan of mass firing government employees.
As reported by NBC, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officials met with federal agency leaders and advised them to dismiss probationary employees.
Employees that had probationary status were informed to let go, as their civil service protections have not started yet, since they have been with the federal government for only one or two years.
"The probationary period is a continuation of the job application process, not an entitlement for permanent employment," an OPM rep shared in a statement.
"Agencies are taking independent action in light of the recent hiring freeze and in support of the President’s broader efforts to restructure and streamline the federal government to better serve the American people at the highest possible standard," the statement added.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union for federal workers, has strongly condemned the move, describing it a display of power.
AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a statement that the administration "has abused the probationary period to conduct a politically driver mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office."
The exact number of worked to let go remained unclear, as the Department of Veterans Affair announced the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees on Thursday.
Additionally, the Education Department also terminated dozens of probationary employees on Wednesday, along with the Housing and Urban Development Department’s managerial staff was informed about who will be cut from their teams.
According to Dennis Lapcewich, communications chair for the National Federation of Federal Employees’ Forest Service Council, the US Forest Service is planning on dismissing around 3,400 workers.
The move came after an OPM spokesperson said on Wednesday that around 75,000 government employees have accepted the White House’s "deferred resignation," where they would leave their jobs but would be paid till September.
On the first day of his second term, Trump declared a hiring freeze, meaning that vacant federal civilian positions could not be filled, not could the government create new position in most departments.
