Federal agencies have reduced staffing among probationary and trial-period employees since January 2025 after presidential directives and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance changed how agencies manage employees still in their initial service periods, according to a new GAO report.
- Who is affected: Employees in a probationary period after initial hiring and employees in a trial period after moving into supervisory or managerial roles, GAO said.
- What changed: GAO reported the staffing reductions were taken in response to presidential directives and OPM guidance issued since January 2025.
- What agencies did: Across selected agencies reviewed by GAO, leaders reduced staffing levels among probationary and trial employees, using the flexibility agencies have during initial service periods.
- Why it matters: GAO said the changes may affect workforce size and retention practices, particularly where agencies rely heavily on entry-level hiring pipelines or internal promotions into supervisory roles.
- Scope: GAO’s findings reflect actions taken at selected agencies reviewed for the report; GAO did not characterize the reductions as uniform across government.
Probationary and trial periods are long-standing features of federal employment that give agencies broader discretion to separate employees who are not meeting performance or conduct expectations during an initial period of service. GAO said the recent shift is that agencies are using that discretion more aggressively in response to direction from the White House and implementation guidance from OPM.
The GAO report ties the staffing reductions to post-January 2025 executive actions and OPM guidance, describing the changes as a driver of near-term workforce reductions in the affected categories. GAO also flagged potential downstream effects: agencies may adjust hiring and promotion strategies, managers may become more cautious about selecting new supervisors, and employees may face greater uncertainty early in their federal careers.
For employees and supervisors, the report underscores the importance of understanding whether you are in a probationary or trial status, what documentation standards apply at your agency, and what internal review options (if any) exist during the initial service period. Employees considering a move into management should also confirm whether the new role triggers a trial period and how that interacts with return rights or reassignment options.
For broader workforce planning, GAO said the changes could reshape staffing levels quickly because probationary and trial employees are often easier to separate than tenured employees, potentially shifting retention and recruitment patterns across agencies.
Source: GAO Reports