More than 1000 NIH employees terminated in latest round of federal layoffs

BETHESDA, Md. - The National Institutes of Health, headquartered in Bethesda, has lost more than 1,000 employees in another round of federal worker firings. Similar to other federal layoffs the nation has seen in recent weeks, those workers learned that their jobs had been terminated through an unexpected — and some say unceremonious — email. 

This latest mass firing comes amid weeks of uncertainty for federal employees, all starting with the Trump administration’s offer for deferred resignation. One federal employee, who asked to remain anonymous, says he — like many others — moved here for the job to further his career and now is left wondering what's next.

Latest layoffs 

What They Say:

About 1,200 NIH employees received termination notification between Friday and Saturday. It featured the same language used across the board, stating that the cause of termination was alleged poor performance.  

"Unfortunately, the agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and skills do not fit the agency's current needs and your performance has not been adequate to justify further employment at the agency," the NIH email read. 

The letter states they have a right to appeal within 30 days.

"I was pretty upset because I did a job to the best of my ability and I meet all the criteria for the skills required for my job," the employee told FOX 5. "I had perfect performance reviews and I still was let go." 

While the terminated employee who spoke with FOX 5 was on the job for less than a year, he came in with over 10 years experience in his field. He doesn't want to reveal exactly what his role is for fear of retaliation and in hopes of getting his job back but he says many of those that were let go work to prevent diseases and to find cures.  

It’s work he says is important for the health of America.

But, he says, he's a probationary employee, which essentially means he is a new hire in a "trial" period. Probationary employees generally don’t have the same civil service protections as regular full-time federal employees — a strategic advantage for the Trump administration as it works to purge the federal government’s payroll.   

"Some people are trying to appeal it but since we’re probationary employees, we don’t have a lot of rights, which is why they kind of came after us, because we don’t have the rights of someone who’s already gone through this period and we don’t get any severance," the employee said. "So, there’s like some lawsuits going out but there’s nothing like immediately like being done." 

Mass firings allowed to continue

Judge's Order:

A federal judge on Thursday gave the green light for the Trump administration to continue its mass firings of federal employees — for now. 

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper refused to temporarily block the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal workers while a separate lawsuit brought by five unions moves forward.

The ruling is temporary while lawsuits continue to play out in the court system. The White House has defended the firings as necessary to downsize the government, cut spending and lower the deficit. 

The judge says unions must bring their claims under federal employment law rather than in district court.

What is a probationary employee? 

Breaking It Down:

A probationary employee is someone who is still in a probationary period with the federal government, meaning they have recently been hired for their position and are essentially undergoing a "trial" period. 

It generally applies to those in their position for less than a year but up to two years, who have yet to gain civil service protection. A person who has been a long-serving federal employee but moved to a new position is also often considered in a probationary position.

During this time period, the employer will determine the employee’s fitness for the position and will determine if they qualify for regular employment.

Probationary employees don’t have the same civil service protections as regular full-time federal employees. They generally do not have the right to appeal to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, which protects federal employees against "partisan political and other prohibited personnel practices."

Why is the Trump administration firing federal employees? 

Big Picture View:

Sticking to his promise made on the campaign trail, President Trump quickly signed an executive order to establish the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

The department is led by Elon Musk with the purported goals of cutting waste and increasing transparency and accountability within the government. 

The layoffs have been part of the department’s efforts to "maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." They say they’re seeking to root out waste and fraud among employees.

Both Musk and Trump have also railed against the federal workforce. In an interview with FOX News, Musk pointed to Kamala Harris winning 92% of the D.C. vote in 2024, saying it’s evidence of an anti-Trump bureaucracy in D.C. 

"Speaking of unelected, there’s a vast federal bureaucracy that is implacably opposed to the the president and the Cabinet," Musk told FOX News. "And you look at, say, D.C. voting. It’s 92 percent Kamala.  Okay, so we’re in 92 percent Kamala. That’s a lot."