FDA Reverses Course, Rehires Hundreds of Recently Fired Probationary Workers

The FDA has begun rescinding termination notices for hundreds of probationary workers who were fired just days earlier24.

This reversal is part of a larger trend of mass layoffs across federal agencies, particularly targeting probationary employees13.

The initial firings at HHS affected an estimated 5,200 employees across various agencies, including the CDC, NIH, and FDA15.

The FDA's decision to rehire came after pushback from the medical device industry, which pays the agency hundreds of millions annually to review products2.

Entire teams of medical device reviewers, numbering five or more, have been reinstated at the FDA2.

The layoffs were part of the Trump administration's efforts to reduce the federal workforce, with a target of cutting 10% of federal employees6.

Other agencies, such as the USDA and Indian Health Service, have also rescinded some terminations6.

Critics argue that these mass layoffs could negatively impact public health and the government's ability to provide essential services57.

The firings and subsequent rehirings have caused confusion and disruption within affected agencies14.

Unions representing federal workers have sued the Trump administration, claiming the firings are unlawful17.

Sources:

1. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/mass-layoffs-hhs-cdc-cuts-1300-probationary-workers-reports-say

2. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fda-moves-to-rehire-medical-device-staffers-fired-only-days-earlier-ap-says

3. https://www.fedmanager.com/news/federal-agencies-start-mass-layoffs-probationary-employees-targeted

4. https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/fda-begins-to-rescind-firings-calls-some-probationary-staff-back-to-work-125022300069_1.html

5. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-health/amid-layoffs-hhs-experts-warn-about-impact-public-health

6. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3328175/fda-usda-agencies-rehire-federal-workers-trump/

7. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-federal-employees-probationary-firings-layoffs-workers-impact/