Federal Judge Rules OPM Unlawfully Ordered Mass Firings of Probationary Workers

The Office of Personnel Management has argued that it did not dictate other agencies’ employment decisions.

Protesters at a rally held by the American Federation of Government Employees of District 14 at the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, on March 4, 2025. Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge ruled on Sept. 12 that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had overstepped its authority when it directed federal agencies to terminate probationary workers en masse due to job performance issues.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by some federal worker unions and nonprofits against the OPM in February, which sought to challenge the firing of thousands of probationary workers across six federal agencies.