(Adnkronos) – The effort to downsize the federal government launched by Donald Trump with the help of Elon Musk continues at full speed. The Administration’s human resources division has asked the various agencies to terminate probationary contracts, i.e., at least 200,000 jobs. For thousands of people, the notice came in the form of a pre-recorded video or group calls. Some were asked to leave the office within half an hour, the Washington Post reports.
The Department of Veterans Affairs laid off more than 1,000 employees, including probationary employees with less than two years of service, even though probationary contracts typically do not extend beyond one year. A few dozen layoffs occurred at the same personnel division that oversees the federal government’s 2.3 million employees. So far, 75,000 employees have accepted the offer to review their resignations in exchange for being paid until September.
