It is unclear how many federal employees received the letter, which was first reported to POLITICO’s E&E News by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which is advising more than 120 terminated staffers.
A copy of the letter was shared with E&E News by PEER and a current NOAA employee who received it from a fired colleague. That person was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to share the document.
PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse said the rehire notices “began rolling out this morning” to the relief of federal employees who have spent more than two weeks navigating unemployment. The employees who were fired last month were on probation, which meant they were in the first year or two of a new job.
“Some people are now worried that this is just a precursor” to more firings, “but the bright side is at least they get notice, severance and real opportunity to get hired back to their original positions,” he said.