Federal Employee Layoffs and Court Ruling on Resignation Deadline

According to Odaily, on Wednesday, the U.S. Technology Transformation Service laid off dozens of employees, following similar layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau the previous day. Additionally, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can proceed with enforcing the extended resignation deadline for federal employees. U.S. District Judge George O'Toole stated that the unions attempting to block the deadline lacked standing to sue as they were not directly affected by the directive. He also noted that the court lacked jurisdiction over these lawsuits. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had proposed the extended resignation deadline in an email to federal employees on January 28, referred to as a "fork in the road," with an initial deadline of February 6. Before this date, employees had to decide whether to remain in their current positions, uncertain if their roles or departments would be eliminated, or to accept OPM's offer of full pay and benefits regardless of workload until September 30, 2025. After a group of unions filed a lawsuit, Judge O'Toole issued a temporary restraining order on February 6, extending the deadline at least until Monday. On Monday, he further extended the deadline pending a ruling. On Wednesday, he lifted the restraining order, leaving the next steps to the government and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is leading efforts to reduce federal personnel.