OSC Abandons Inquiries Into 2,000 Fired Probationary Workers

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the federal agency responsible for investigating improper employment practices, has decided to drop more than 2,000 complaints filed by probationary federal workers who were terminated during a government-wide workforce reduction ordered by the Trump administration. The OSC justified this move by stating that the terminations were part of an administration priority to shrink the federal workforce, rather than individualized performance-based decisions, and therefore did not violate civil service laws. This reversal came after Trump fired the previous OSC head and replaced them with administration loyalists, prompting criticism that the decision undermines protections for federal workers and weakens oversight of politically motivated firings. The move effectively closes a primary avenue for these workers to challenge their dismissals, though they may still seek recourse through the Merit Systems Protection Board. Critics argue that the mass firings and the OSC's subsequent withdrawal leave civil servants vulnerable to political purges and erode the principle of an impartial public service.