Federal employees can now be fired more easily during their first year

The US Office of Personnel Management has removed rules that protected new federal employees during their probationary period. This means it will be easier for federal agencies to fire new hires who are not performing well.

For decades, federal employees had strong protections against being fired, even during their first year. This made it hard for managers to remove underperforming staff. This change means federal agencies can now act more quickly to remove new employees who are not a good fit.