All articles tagged with #federal employees
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully ordered a 50% reduction in FEMA staff, calling the DHS-crafted plan arbitrary and likely to impede FEMA’s disaster-response duties, with relief discussions ordered.
A class-action lawsuit filed by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Correia & Puth argues that the Trump administration’s ban on insurance coverage for gender-affirming care in federal employee plans violates Title VII by discriminating based on sex, affecting about 8.3 million people and 39,400 enrollees; the policy removed coverage (except for mental health counseling) and a vague mid-treatment carve-out that ends in 2027, forcing some workers to pay out-of-pocket or forgo care, while medical groups deem the care medically necessary.
A man, Joseph Henrichsen, 49, and his adult son Phoenix Henrichsen, 23, were charged with kidnapping two U.S. Forest Service biologists in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, holding them at gunpoint for hours and forcing one into a Forest Service vehicle during a lengthy standoff with authorities; they appeared in federal court in Sacramento and pleaded not guilty, potentially facing life in prison if convicted. Negotiators eventually persuaded them to surrender after the victims were released, with motive not disclosed in charging documents.
As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary with lavish celebrations, more than two million federal workers nationwide face burnout, job insecurity, and heavy workloads after a sweeping government overhaul under the Trump administration, including downsizing and widespread reassignments. Many employees—from FEMA to Social Security to TSA—are opting out of patriotic displays, citing loss of morale, pay disruptions from shutdowns, and a sense that public service has suffered under the current era of cuts and political turmoil.
Seven EPA workers fired during their probation last year are suing the agency, claiming their terminations for signing a public 2025 dissent letter violated their First Amendment rights and seeking reinstatement and back pay; the suits come as part of broader challenges to the EPA following the June 2025 declaration of dissent, with support from Senate Democrats and ongoing appeals, though these plaintiffs could not appeal to the MSPB due to their probationary status.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order stripping job protections from a senior group of federal workers earning up to about $200,000 a year who influence policy, making it easier to fire about 8,000 employees as part of a broader federal workforce overhaul; unions have sued, and litigation is paused while changes are finalized.
President Trump signed an executive order reclassifying about 8,000 senior federal workers into Schedule F, expanding at-will firing rights for policy-focused staff. The move is part of a broader effort to transform the federal workforce and has sparked lawsuits arguing it would politicize the civil service, though officials say it will not recreate the spoils system and that the majority of those affected are at or near GS-15 pay grade. The government initially projected far more positions could be reclassified, but the actual impact is smaller.
OPM published a draft non-disclosure agreement for current and new federal workers intended to curb media leaks, saying the document documents obligations to safeguard non-public information and does not create new substantive speech restrictions, while preserving whistleblower rights. Critics, including the largest federal union, warn the measure could chill free speech and be used to pressure agencies to require signing; the public has 30 days to comment before finalization, and past leaks cited in the notice—about a Venezuela raid and ICE agent data—frame the context.
OPM proposes a governmentwide non-disclosure agreement for federal employees, allowing agencies to mandate signing through future job announcements; the NDA would cover internal operations and other sensitive, pre-decisional information with signed forms stored in eOPFs, and it would not expand whistleblower protections, though critics warn it could chill disclosures and lead to discipline for noncompliance; the plan seeks public feedback as part of a broader effort to curb leaks.
OPM proposes a government-wide nondisclosure agreement for federal employees to curb unauthorized disclosures and protect confidential information; agencies could choose to apply the NDA to onboarding and current staff, with civil and criminal penalties for violations, but it would not affect legally protected whistleblower disclosures; unions and critics warn it could chill candor and silence employees, as the rule enters a 30-day public comment period.
The White House is proposing a government-wide nondisclosure agreement for federal workers to sign, aiming to curb leaks by covering internal operations and pre-decisional material. The draft NDA, posted by the Office of Personnel Management to the Federal Register, would let agencies adopt it with a 30-day comment period. The move has been criticized by the AFGE as a bid to silence staff and purge nonpartisan civil servants, though officials say it does not create new substantive restrictions and would preserve whistleblower rights.
The Trump administration, through the Office of Personnel Management, released a draft nondisclosure agreement that would require federal employees to refrain from sharing confidential information with journalists, with civil and criminal penalties and even royalties for disclosed information. Former employees would need written authorization to speak to the press, though disclosures to Congress or inspectors general would be exempt. Critics say the plan targets federal workers and weakens accountability, while supporters claim it protects sensitive operations; the NDA remains a draft as part of a broader effort to control information flow.
The Trump administration proposed a government-wide nondisclosure agreement to bar federal workers from sharing non-public confidential or proprietary information; agencies could adopt the NDA, expanding measures used by the Pentagon and other agencies, while whistleblower protections would be preserved.
A group of USDA employees and a union sue Secretary Brooke Rollins in the Northern District of California, alleging her emails promoting Christianity—most notably an Easter message—coerced staff and violated the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act; they seek an injunction against further religious messaging and argue it clashes with USDA guidance on expressing religion at work.
A federal lawsuit accuses Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins of proselytizing federal employees by frequently invoking Jesus in work emails, alleging this violates the Establishment Clause and pressures staff to share her beliefs, with plaintiffs saying the messages create coercion and potential retaliation for opting out.