Some workers at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have received a letter from the agency warning them that they may face termination amid the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back the government, FOX Business has learned.
The email, which was sent to 1,100 EPA employees on Wednesday according to the email reviewed by FOX Business, notifies workers that they were deemed to be on probationary status or are in a trial period as an employee and could be terminated immediately.
It instructs recipients to respond to an EPA email address only if they have one or more years of previous civilian service or are a veteran – though it warns that “confirming that one or more of these categories applies to you is not determinative of your probationary/trial period status. Each employee’s status will be determined individually.”
“As a probationary/trial employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you pursuant to 5 CFR § 315.804,” the email explained. “The process for probationary removal is that you receive a notice of termination, and your employment is ended immediately.”
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The email notes that EPA workers who are considered to be on probationary status or in a trial period may have the right to appeal their termination to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) based on Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rules.
Whether or not EPA employees have a right to appeal their removal “will depend on whether you meet the definition of an ’employee’ under the law… and whether you meet the requirements of any OPM regulation that grants appeal rights,” the email explained.
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The EPA’s email warning probationary and trial period employees of their potential termination comes as the Trump administration is seeking to shrink the federal workforce as part of a cost-cutting push spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) while also bringing workers on telework programs back into the office.
On Tuesday, OPM sent a government-wide email offering buyouts to certain federal employees as part of a program that’s scheduled to run from Jan. 28 until Feb. 6. As part of the initiative, federal workers can choose to resign under the program while retaining all pay and benefits, regardless of workload, and be exempt from in-person work requirements until Sep. 30, 2025.
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Federal workers who choose to take the buyout and deferred resignation will also continue to accrue personal leave and vacation days that will be paid out at their final resignation date, even though the workers won’t be required to work during the deferral period. They may continue to accrue federal retirement benefits during that period and can also get a second job.
The buyouts don’t apply to military personnel of the armed forces, the U.S. Postal Services, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and any other positions specifically excluded by the agency the federal workers are employed by.
“The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes,” OPM explained in a frequently asked questions document linked to the letter. “As a result of these changes (or for other reasons), you may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide you with sufficient time and economic security to plan for your future – and have a nice vacation.”
