New White House order makes it easier to fire probationary employees

President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order expanding the reasons agencies may fire probationary employees, a group the administration has sought to dismiss en masse as part of efforts to shrink the federal workforce. Workers in their probationary periods are generally those who have been hired or promoted within the past year or two. While they have fewer civil service job protections, they can only be dismissed for reasons of performance or conduct. Recently, se