Summary

The Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency that oversees illegal actions taken against federal workers, ruled that the mass firings of probationary federal workers (those in a trial period after being hired) are likely illegal.

The decision, affecting 6 cases, found that the terminations lacked individualized cause, violating federal rules.

OSC head Hampton Dellinger stated, “Firing probationary employees without individualized cause appears contrary to a reasonable reading of the law.”

This ruling could challenge the legality of nearly all such dismissals, opening the door for broader legal action.

    • gabbath@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      It is. That’s why the corporate fascists are trying to demonize and dismantle it. There’s a reason Musk started with the ones that were investigating his companies.

      Although keeping it in check will likely require the authorities to obey the findings of these agencies. They’ll be getting conflicting orders from the MAGA admin. That’s the constitutional crisis in a nutshell — if authorities side with MAGA, then it becomes a coup.

  • dellish@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Yeah, but, what are you going to do about it? Trump is above the law and Elon certainly isn’t going to be fined, let alone go to jail, over this. Courts and lawyers can cry all they want, who’s going to enforce it? Nobody, that’s who. So sure, Point out they’re doing illegal things - the law doesn’t seem to matter to those in charge any more.

    • witten@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Get that defeatism out of here. They’re only above the law if we let them be. To date, the Trump administration has backed off when a judge rules against them. Sure, they then try to come up with new, illegal shit to do. But the courts definitely still have a place in putting the brakes on it.

  • pyrflie@lemm.ee
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    3 days ago

    You guys do realize this is the same type of govt that resulted in the trail of tears right? If the courts can it’s their problem to enforce it. Cause Auth Branch won’t.

    That means they need to issue Dead or Alive warrants for cabinet and elected officials (including President).

    • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I’m pretty sure anyone coming back, or that wants to ever join again will ask for more pay due to the fuckery and uncertainty it causes.

      • witten@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I mean, yeah. Part of the low pay inherent in U.S. government jobs is the baked-in assumption that it’s one of the most stable jobs around. Once that assumption goes out the window, the government will have to pay more to make up for the loss of that major perk.

    • cley_faye@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      It will either cost a lot in legal fees, or a lot in every fucking thing is broken everywhere and most services that were already busting at the seams to somewhat operate will just pop like melons under a giant truck tire.

    • nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
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      4 days ago

      Even if it does, I am certain that Musk himself will have zero legal liability here. His position is unofficial, all his authority is “because Trump says so”, and I strongly doubt he signing his name or signature on anything. That itself should scare people (even those who agree with what he’s doing), but most Americans are just sleepwalking.

      • Jhex@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        If the USA had a functional justicebsystem, Musk would have been at least detained and bar from tpuchibg government systems… but alas, there is no functional law in the USA at the moment

  • barnaclebutt@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    But the DOGE guys are so cool. That guy is the next Tony Stark with a totally huge penis. And those children running the day to day workings of DOGE definitely slay pussy. Not punchable faces at all!

    • IamSparticles@lemmy.zip
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      4 days ago

      This is the exact problem. Trump and Musk are walking through the forest firing a flamethrower indiscriminately, and there are a bunch of people on the outskirts yelling “Hey, you can’t do that!”

    • ryathal@sh.itjust.works
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      4 days ago

      At some point all the people fired will likely get some money, some may get jobs. It probably takes at least a year for that to happen though.

    • Styxia@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      After considering this question carefully, I expect the answer is: the square root of fuck all.

  • MedicsOfAnarchy@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    So each fired employee saves, let’s say, $75,000. Then each sues the government and wins a $250,000 settlement, and gets their job back. Of course the government spends $300,000 on lawyers for each case. The savings practically leap into our pockets!

    • 𝔼𝕩𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕒@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      It’s an ouroborus - a self feeding problem that will always be able to Boogeyman the problem it caused. Those employees will then be painted as wasting money by tying up courts for settlements, decried like the McDonald’s coffee incident all over again.

    • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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      4 days ago

      While the decision is limited to those six workers, its implication is that all, or nearly all, of the mass firings of probationary government workers by President Donald Trump violate the laws regulating government employment

      It’s only for the trainees at present, not sure why the title exaggerated

    • dan1101@lemm.ee
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      4 days ago

      There’s also nothing efficient about firing people from various critical agencies and then scrambling to bring the back after their records have been purged.

      • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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        3 days ago

        How many will not want to come back too? Or even if they do will now be looking to leave.

  • Zier@fedia.io
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    4 days ago

    Everything President Felon and VP KetamineTrip are doing is illegal. And it will cost BILLIONS in the end to fix. Money that was need for more important things.