Nearly 1,300 probationary employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — roughly one-tenth of the agency's workforce — are being forced out under the Trump administration's move to get rid of all probationary employees.
The Atlanta-based agency's leadership was notified of the decision Friday morning. The verbal notice came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a meeting with CDC leaders, according to a federal official who was at the meeting. The official was not authorized to discuss it and spoke to The Associated Press on condition anonymity.
The affected employees are supposed to receive four weeks paid administrative leave, the official said, adding that it wasn't clear when individual workers would receive notice.
With a $9.2 billion core budget, the CDC is charged with protecting Americans from outbreaks and other public health threats. Before the cuts, the agency had about 13,000 employees, including more than 2,000 staff work in other countries.
Historically CDC has been seen as a global leader on disease control and a reliable source of health information, boasting some of the top experts in the world.
The staff is heavy with scientists — 60% have master’s degrees or doctorates. Most of the workforce does not belong to a union.
It’s not only new employees who are subject to probation. Probationary periods also are applied to veteran agency staffers who, for example, were recently promoted to a new job in management.
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