A US District Court decision on March 13 ordered the temporary restoration of thousands of federal employees; however, some sacked federal employees reinstated by court order are still in limbo as agencies place them on paid administrative leave.
On Monday, employees from agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) received letters confirming their reinstatement. However, the letters stated they would be on paid non-duty until legal proceedings are concluded.
A NOAA employee who wished to remain anonymous expressed frustration with the situation. According to US Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, some workers received back pay without receiving official notice of their job status.
“Basically it had been a direct deposit to their account, but with nothing further,” Murkowski explained. The latest ruling by US District Court Judge James Bredar temporarily halted mass firings carried out under the Trump administration.
The court found that the administration unlawfully terminated at least 24,000 probationary federal employees without individualized assessments. Attorneys general from 19 states and Washington DC argued that these terminations harmed state programs and caused financial losses.
The Trump administration has appealed the decision, claiming the government must eliminate waste and fraud. On Monday, a federal appeals court rejected a Trump administration request to block another reinstatement order from US District Judge Willaim Alsup in California.
Despite reinstatement, employees fear another round of terminations if higher courts overturn the rulings. The Department of Commerce letter states that if the administration prevails in court, workers will be fired again and will owe no back pay.
This news article was originally published by Anchorage Daily News.
