Thousands of federal employees have been waiting for the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding their ability to remain employed by the government for weeks. They received their response on Tuesday: The Trump administration may proceed with widespread layoffs.
There is still no answer to the legality of the layoffs. Workers are still in uncertainty as they wait for their agencies to make decisions on who will stay, who will leave, and when.
In February, President Trump signed an executive order that called for mass layoffs at almost every government department. However, the directive was challenged in court, which resulted in federal employees temporarily remaining in their positions or at least receiving health benefits and a paycheck.
The prolonged uncertainty has been characterized by many federal workers as a stressful, nightmare struggle.
And many were aware that any respite would probably only last a short while. Some of them have been saying for months that they were afraid to check their government emails for fear of discovering they had been dismissed. Many were afraid that by speaking up, they might become targets.
One worker at the Environmental Protection Agency, which has not yet released a comprehensive layoff plan, stated that she and her coworkers were awaiting word on the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision. She spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals, as did other others who are still working for the government.
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