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Administration officials confirmed the initiation of federal worker terminations on Friday, following through on earlier warnings in response to the continuing US government shutdown, which is set to stretch into its third consecutive week.

Official Announcement and Early Information

The director of the White House budget office wrote on social media that “reductions in force have begun,” referring to the government’s process for letting employees go.

While Vought did not specify which departments were affected, a representative from the Treasury Department stated that notices had been issued within that department. Additionally, a DHS representative noted that staff reductions would also occur at the CISA. Also, a labor organization representing federal workers announced that employees at the Education Department would be impacted by the reduction in force.

Union Response and Court Actions

Union leaders warned that the layoffs would have “severe consequences” on public services relied upon by millions of Americans and pledged to contest the moves in the legal system.

This is shameful that the government has exploited the government shutdown as an pretext to wrongfully terminate thousands of workers who deliver critical services to communities nationwide,” said Everett Kelley, representing the American Federation of Government Employees.

The largest labor federation in the US reacted to the news, saying, “Labor organizations will see you in court.”

Legislative Impasse and Budget Dispute

Lawmakers from the Democratic party have refused to vote for a GOP-supported legislation to restore funding unless it contains healthcare-centered concessions. Following repeated failed attempts, the Senate’s Republican leaders have put the chamber in recess until the following week, meaning the deadlock is unlikely to be ended before then.

At a media briefing, the Republican House speaker, the speaker, criticized opposition lawmakers for not supporting the GOP bill, which passed in the lower chamber on a largely partisan basis.

Federal workers’ final pay that 700,000 federal workers will see until opposition leaders decide to do their job and end the shutdown,” the speaker said. “Starting next week, American service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are going to miss a full paycheck.”

Legal and Operational Constraints

Previously, unions filed for a temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from implementing any layoffs during the funding gap. Moreover, a court official ordered the administration to disclose details on layoff plans, affected agencies, and whether any government staff had been brought back to execute layoffs.

A report argued that a government shutdown restricts the authority of the administration to conduct terminations, referencing official advice that acknowledged any permanent layoffs need to have been started prior to the funding expired.

Consequences for Employees

These terminations took place on the same day that government employees got only a partial paycheck for the end of the previous month but not the start of the current month, since funding expired at the start of the period.

Max Stier, the head of the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, criticized the gridlock’s effect on federal employees.

“It is wrong to make government staff bear the burden because our leaders in Congress and the White House have not succeeded to keep our federal operations running,” the advocate said. The flight regulators, VA nurses, wildland firefighters and food inspectors are not responsible for this funding crisis.”

A notable point is that lawmakers and senior White House leaders are still receiving salaries amid the shutdown.