Ultimately, most targeted for retribution were issued letters of reprimand or forced to take two weeks’ unpaid leave. But around 15 workers, including seven employees still serving their one-year probationary period, were terminated in early October, shortly after the start of the 43-day government shutdown.
According to a termination notice published by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which is helping to provide legal counsel the six employees appealing to the MSPB, those targeted for firing held public-facing roles that require “alignment with the agency’s communication strategies.”