Federal Agencies Violated the Law by Firing Thousands of Probationary Workers Without Warning 

AG James and Coalition of 19 Attorneys General File Lawsuit to Reinstate Fired Workers

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 19 other attorneys general today filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for illegally firing thousands of probationary federal workers, including hundreds in New York. The administration is required to provide advance notice of mass layoffs to employees and states so that states can mobilize resources needed to process unemployment claims and care for unemployed workers. However, as Attorney General James and the coalition argue in their lawsuit, the administration has directed federal agencies to conduct immediate mass terminations of probationary employees without following the law. The resulting unlawful layoffs have upended workers’ lives, disrupted essential services, and forced states to scramble to provide resources for recently fired workers.

“Whether it’s providing health care to our veterans, keeping our communities safe, or ensuring our children get a quality education, federal employees provide essential services every day,” said Attorney General James. “The Trump administration’s illegal mass firings of federal workers are a slap in the face to those who have spent their careers serving our country. Thousands of workers across New York and the nation are now struggling to pay rent, put food on the table, and care for their loved ones. Today, I am joining my fellow attorneys general in defending the rights of workers who serve our communities and stopping the chaos and confusion this unjust policy is causing.” 

In New York, these illegal layoffs have impacted workers throughout the state. In the last week of February,

  #AttorneyGeneral, #CoalitionOfAttorneysGeneral, #DisruptedLives, #EmploymentLaw, #EssentialServices, #FederalAgencies, #FiredWorkers, #LegalAction, #LetitiaJames, #MassLayoffs, #MassTerminations, #NewYork, #ProbationaryWorkers, #StateOfNewYork, #StateResources, #TrumpAdministration, #UnemploymentClaims, #UnlawfulFiring, #WorkersProtection, #WorkersRights, lawsuit