[akmiller]

> that probationary employees aren't needed

Remember that "probationary" doesn't mean new. I just learned this, but apparently when getting a promotion it puts you back into the "probationary" period at your new role. So people with 10+ years of service are being let go because they had recently been promoted.

[hn_throwaway_99]

Saw posts of national park rangers with 10+ years of experience who were fired for being "probationary" employees because they were recently promoted.

It's really, really hard to believe I have anything in common with people cheering on this cruel incompetence.

[m4rtink]

Firing any probationary employees withou a real cause is cruel, has zero dignity and looks totally stupid. But this makes it even worse!

Like what is the great thing that needs to be done right now that justifies trampling over peoples lives like this ?

[hakfoo]

That's what's fascinating. Given the capture of all three branches of government, they could presumably get all their wishes "above the board." Congress would willingly rubber-stamp shrinking the government to three nuclear missiles and the guy who polishes the exhibits at the Smithsonian, but actually enumerating what they want and waiting for it to wend through procedure was too slow.

Part of that might be that they know it's a smash-and-grab operation: the moment they started the cuts, the alarm was already ringing and it's only a matter of time before (Congress | the courts | Luigi Mangione | Several million annoyed pensioners) man up and interrupt the process. (exactly the nature of the interruption is clearly TBD).

When the dust clears, the fascinating thing to study will be the real priorities. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the collateral damage is a smoke screen around very specific grudges against specific people and agencies-- the financial equivalent of burning down the entirety of San Diego because your ex-wife lives there. There was the whole USAID/Starlink angle already, but surely other people got theirs.

[blitzar]

Could be a round of promotions and pay raises coming so that they can fire more people and claim to save extra money.

[Balgair]

I mean, that would imply some form of intelligence to all this. And, well, this first month has shown there is no intelligence.

[dragonwriter]

Yeah, probationary in most civil service systems is attached to a particular class, so if you move up promotionally, or (in many cases) into a new career path, you retain seniority but are in probationary status again for some period of time. Usually, failing probation at the new level without additional problems means that you have reinstatement rights at your last non-probationary class.

[akmiller]

Yes, and this example right here tells you how much research DOGE does (with anything they are doing). Highly inept people if measured by what their stated goal is...although we all know what the real goal is.

[hunter-gatherer]

Hmm... interesting. Different departments might have different meanings then? I was in DIA nit ages ago and probationary only meant < 2 years.