Thousands of Department of Agriculture employees terminated under the Trump administration will return to their positions for now, after an independent commission said their firing broke the laws that shield career staff from political influence.
The Merit Systems Protection Board, which mediates disputes between federal agencies and their employees, found reasonable grounds to believe that the Agriculture Department violated civil service laws when it dismissed new hires, known as probationary employees.
The board directed the USDA to temporarily reinstate probationary employees fired since Feb. 13 due to “performance” while the Office of Special Counsel investigates their firings. OSC estimates that the order will apply to more than 5,000 USDA workers.
Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger said other agencies should reinstate federal workers similarly terminated.
“I am calling on all federal agencies to voluntarily and immediately…
