CNN
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President Donald Trump is targeting federal employees who focus on diversity, equity and inclusion and career policy staff as he follows through on campaign promises to put more control over the federal bureaucracy.
The move comes just days after he took office in a new administration that follows programs he has long attacked and civil servants he feels are some of his key initiatives in his first term. was stopped. But they have created fears among federal workers and the unions that represent them, with employees worried about their jobs and their ability to carry out the missions that drew them to public service.
An executive order that sent shock waves through the workforce on Monday calls for the creation of a category for federal employees covered by the policy — known as Schedule F — that makes it easier to fire them. will be done Critics argue that the measure, which is similar to one to be signed in late 2020, is intended to ensure loyalty to the president.
The move follows Tuesday’s directive to place employees in any federal diversity, equity, inclusion and access offices on paid administrative leave, effective immediately, as the Trump administration Proceeding to eliminate the measures of Also, the Office of Personnel Management wants a list of any employment or contract details that were changed to hide their DEIA connections after the November election. Failure to report those changes could result in “adverse consequences,” according to emails received Wednesday by federal employees.
Other initial steps by Trump include requiring staff to report to the office and asking for a list of employees who are still in their probationary period, who do not have the same job protections.
The moves have drawn the ire of federal workers’ unions, which say Trump’s main goal is to cut ranks.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 750,000 workers, attacked the Trump administration’s announcement to close DEIA offices. The union does not know how many workers may be affected by the planned layoff action.
“The federal government already provides hiring and promotion exclusively on the basis of merit,” AFGE National President Everett Kelly said in a statement Wednesday. “The results are clear: a diverse federal workforce that looks more like the nation it serves, with the lowest gender and racial pay gap in the nation. We should all be proud of that.”
“Ultimately, these attacks on DEIA are a smokescreen to fire civil servants, weaken an apolitical civil service, and turn the federal government into an army of loyalists to the president, not the constitution,” he continued. .
Trump’s efforts to restructure the federal workforce are expected to end up in court, with a lawsuit already filed against the executive order creating Schedule F. Many of his other initiatives face other hurdles, including union contracts, and will take time to implement.
Still, that’s little comfort to employees who are already feeling the impact and others who expect to be affected soon. Several people spoke to CNN but asked that their names not be used for fear of retaliation.
A lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security worries that the creation of Schedule F will make it harder for them to do their job properly. Lawyers, who have spent their entire careers in public service, expect to move into this category, consulting on national and local policy matters.
If this happens and they are stripped of the protections that civil service workers enjoy, lawyers are concerned that they will be able to give an honest review of the cases before them.
“After nearly 20 years of federal service, I’ve never felt this type of anxiety about my job,” said the lawyer, who lives in the Southwest with a spouse and two young children. “Being able to do my job freely with the feeling that I’m not going to be retaliated against, I feel like those days will be over once Schedule F is implemented.”
Meanwhile, a Maryland resident who works entirely remotely for the U.S. Department of Agriculture worries that returning to the office will force him to give up his “best job ever” because it involves two It will take up to an hour. By all means travel.
But also worrisome are the effects of potential staff cuts on projects they are working on to improve federal nutrition programs, such as the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Also known as WIC. Serving millions of Americans.
The USDA worker, who is married with four young children, said, “I’m anxious to at least say what will happen to this job and the people who depend on it if I, And others, lose their jobs.”
However, some federal employees are taking a more defiant stance.
A Department of Veterans Affairs worker who thinks they will be moved to the Schedule F category is concerned about being placed in a position that conflicts with their personal values ​​and beliefs. But if that happens, he said he’ll either look for another job or wait to be fired.
“I’m not going to be swayed by the cooling effect,” said the Washington, D.C., metro area resident, who previously worked in the private sector. “Becoming a political martyr will be a new experience for me.”
