Federal layoffs | Fired federal workers speak out on recent terminations: 'we're under attack by billionaires' - ABC13 Houston Hanna Hickman, a now-terminated worker for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told ABC News the last four days have been a roller coaster. "It's scary," said Hickman, who was fired last Tuesday. "I had a real moment -- I was at CVS the other day and ... it kind of came on me all at once that I might not have health insurance in a few weeks, and that really hits you. I think it underscores the fact that we're just regular, middle-class people, just like the people we're trying to serve." Hickman was senior litigation counsel for the Division of Enforcement at the CFPB in Washington, D.C. She is one of thousands of mostly new employees known as probationary workers laid off this week across the federal government. Those recent hires had joined the federal workforce within the last one to two years, depending on the agency, and have fewer protections. Hickman was a probationary hire who had been at the CFPB just under two years until Tuesday around 9 p.m., when she saw a termination notice pop up on her phone. "It was shocking, frankly -- not just to us but to our direct managers, who had not been told this would happen and received notice of the terminations at the same time we did because they were CC'd," Hickman told ABC News. The mass layoffs have wreaked havoc on scores of federal employees, including at the Department of Education, the CFPB, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other agencies. Hickman stressed that last Tuesday was surreal because CFPB employees had already been told last weekend that they could not show up to work in person. Her belongings are still inside the bureau. "It's really a shock," she said, "especially for a lawyer because we have professional obligations. I have a case that I'm currently litigating for the bureau, and all of a sudden, I'm cut off from our systems, and it's the equivalent of being escorted out of the building and fired. It's just, it's absolutely shocking, especially when there have been no concerns about my performance during my time at the bureau." Hickman hasn't been inside the CFPB in over a week since that Friday, Feb. 7, when Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency descended on the CFPB headquarters. That day, Musk posted on X: "CFPB RIP." "We're under attack by billionaires, but I'm not a billionaire, so, you know, for me, the next steps are scary. I'm trying to stay focused working productively, but it's a scary moment," Hickman said. We're under attack by billionaires. Hickman said she believes Musk is attempting to "destroy" the agency that was started by Congress. But she and several of her former colleagues vowed to continue fighting, looking into all available legal options, because she said that's what civil servants do. "Civil servants do this work to fight for regular Americans," she said. "That's what the job is. That's why it's intended to be insulated from partisan swings. That's why it requires expert people skills and experience, and that's why there are these protections around the jobs. I mean, we are people who go to work every day to fight for regular people." CFPB employs the "cops on the beat for the financial market," according to Hickman. She said her job was critical to safeguarding the public from financial market crashes, loan schemes and hiked interest rates. "Donald Trump and Elon Musk can just call their lawyers," Hickman said. "But regular people don't just have a lawyer they can call, and these agencies are intended to fill that gap and to keep people safe. ... For me, this was, you know, a calling. "It was something that I felt really passionate about doing in this next phase of my career," she added. "I've been in private practice for 15 years before this, and this is just a whole different type of practice -- and one that was incredibly fulfilling for me before I was terminated." "Nobody knows anything" Earlier this week, ABC News spoke to several other federal government probationary employees who had been fired by receiving notices that said: "The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest." Chelsea Wilburn, a disabled veteran, said she was fired from the Department of Education on Wednesday via a memo that "didn't give any specific reasons as to why" she was let go. "I was definitely upset," Wilburn told ABC News. "I've only ever gotten positive feedback from my team and leadership, so I was pretty surprised to get that email." A former Federal Student Aid probationary hire at the Department of Education received an unexpected call on Wednesday from a supervisor who was on the other line crying. The supervisor told the former probationary employee: "I'm getting word that you've been terminated." The person, who spoke with ABC News on the condition of anonymity for fear of it affecting future employment opportunities, said it is "devastating" and they don't know where, or when, their next paycheck will come from. "It was heartbreaking," the former employee said. "When I went up to my computer, it was already locked down. I couldn't access anything. I'm still trying to reach out to HR to find out, do I get a severance package? What is my health insurance benefits? When does it end? Nobody knows anything." Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.
Transportation Department workers with ‘exceptional’ reviews told they’re fired for ‘performance’ issues – NBC New York Letters went out to dozens of probationary employees in at least one section of the Department of Transportation that said part of the reason they were being fired was for poor performance, according to a copy of the letter obtained by NBC News. But as a source familiar and a secondary document viewed by NBC News laid out, most of those employees were rated as being “exceptional” performers by their supervisors. “Employee has demonstrated exceptional performance and has no conduct issues,” supervisor reviews read for many of the laid-off workers. “These letters that we’re sending these employees, I feel so bad because they’re lying,” the person familiar said. “All of them, pretty much, were exceptional performers. It’s just crazy to me.”
Western NC got hammered by a hurricane. People with no jobs, no homes. no where to go. And no response from the Biden administration. We can do this all day long
I wonder how a federal worker of 15 years feels when he's fired and told to vacate in 45 minutes, after voting for Trump, when he has a mortgage, 3 kids, and two he's putting through college right now. It's life changing, when your healthcare, income, and ability to pay bills is taken away in less than an hour. To add insult to injury is when the President's sidekick and richest man of the world laughs and cheers on the firings. There is a level of sadistic and heartless mindset being perpetrated upon Americans, and those in need worldwide coming from a couple of men spewing their "Make America Great" propaganda reasoning. Treating people who aren't loyalists, or who aren't billionaires as worthless expendables is the new mentality being administered by a man without an ounce of remorse, an ounce of humanity, and a blatant disregard for the law, truth, or morals. The sociopath focused on absolute power, riches, and adoration is not going to stop until he eliminates or destroys everyone and everything in his way to achieving his goal. I hope Republicans and Democrats unite to stop him before too much damage is done.
But they voted for him and deserve all the pain that comes with it. MAGATs don't care when others are inflicted pain but when they're the beneficiary of the pain they have a mental breakdown. Whoever voted for Trump deserves to feel the pain
Biden requested congress come back into session early to pass aid for hurricane victims and Mike Johnson the republican speaker refused to call Congress back from recess to pass aid. @Space Ghost is genuinely one of the dumbest individuals on these forums by a country mile. Utterly braindead of a individual https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/co...use-back-election-hurricane-relief-rcna174174
There will always be those who take enjoyment in some sick way when good people's lives are destroyed. Those types probably deserve a taste of the medicine they dish out. I don't believe that all those who voted for Trump have that sick mentality. I also don't believe in cheering on innocent victims, who simply believed the lies, propaganda and fear mongering spewed nonstop during the campaigns. Many good people were manipulated into believing Trump cared about them, and will be dealing with the wrath of Trump and Musk's sadistic and self-serving sociopathic greed fueled agenda. Sure, the MAGA cult should have known better, but they are victims too.
The do-nothing-party-for-nobody-but-themselves using USAD could not stop the hoards of illegals or help WNC. But Trump did in 3 days. Either Democrats are incompetent (see Harris) or simply do not want to help anyone who doesn't bend the knee to their ideology. Why not both?
You are one of the dumbest SOBs on these forums. None of your posts ever contain any substance or facts. Braindead disinformation is all you spew Have a nice day
I'm sorry but how are MAGA voters innocent? They are complicit in everything he does. If you vote for Trump you better own all the actions that he does. You dont get to cry about Trump hurting you if you voted for him. MAGA vote for Trump cuz they want to see others hurt. They like watching others suffer. I have no respect or feel bad about watching them suffer. They voted for this. Own it
I don't understand how anyone cheers for this type stuff happening. A disabled veteran helping veterans for a living purged under the cloak and dagger of Government Efficiency, and Weeding out the Waste. He, and so many more are the real patriots, and not two men raised on silver spoons who don't know the meaning of sacrifice.
That's a nice story of you like stories that aren't true. There was a response from the Biden administration. Stop lying. https://www.fema.gov/press-release/...r-increases-federal-cost-share-north-carolina https://www.fema.gov/press-release/...vides-860-million-hurricane-helene-and-milton https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politi...tly-needed-after-hurricanes-helene-and-milton https://ncnewsline.com/2024/10/02/b...aid-to-north-carolina-after-hurricane-helene/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-troops-north-carolina-hurricane-helene-federal-response/ https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-...helene-federal-cost-share-adjustment-approved Please do us all a favor and don't be dishonest.
These are probationary workers with less than 2 yrs experience They're already rehiring those who do necessary work Trump Officials Fire, Abruptly Rehire, Overseers of U.S. Nuclear Stockpile It's been a long time coming, there's going to be short term discomfort for long term gain Keep calm & Sit tight
What's the long term gain? LMAO. None of these cuts are even a fraction of the budget? Nevermind that these firings are irresponsible, reckless, and dumb. You have no idea what you are talking about so just sitting there and telling people "keep calm and sit tight" is garbage.
decades experience in private sector beginning always has to be overkill reintroduction and adjustments happen down the road what you want for govt workers is job security, and job security doesnt exist without sustainability sustainability doesn't happen with a ballooning deficit , massive inefficiencies and parallel organizations
Sorry, not good enough, anecdotal evidence like this doesnt fly, especially when those tax cuts are already gonna add to the deficit. GOOD DAY
Government is not a business, it is not in the business of making money. It has a different edict. Having Billionaires that CHEAT the system like Trump and Elon in charge of the system is terrible idea. DD
I'm sure you would keep calm if it was you, and you came to work and found out you were fired, with no justification, no time to seek references and apply for another job, with bills coming in that put you in dire straights. This is not how you treat people. It was done with haste, ignorance, and cruelty. I'm sure you would keep calm when the richest man in the world takes pleasure in ripping away your livelihood. These are people, not throw away expendables you toss out at the end of a day like trash. You know why certain people are being sought back? You shared an article. It's because people are in charge of firing thousands without even knowing how crucial their job is, how much an agency is understaffed, and needs all the help the government can give them (such as the VA), and what each person contributes to the mission. They aren't rehiring back all the VA workers, and the VA should be taking better care of those who served. It's been highly understaffed for years. The rehiring of the workers you shared is an exception, because it posed a national security risk, and they didn't even realize it until they purged. It's incompetent and reckless having no a bunch of tech kids and Musk deciding things they aren't experts in. “The DOGE people are coming in with absolutely no knowledge of what these departments are responsible for,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, referencing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. “They don’t seem to realize that it’s actually the department of nuclear weapons more than it is the Department of Energy.”
