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# FDA Rehires Fired Employees Due to Court Order
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/fda-rehires-fired-employees-due-to-court-order/
- Published: 2025-03-18T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T14:55:32.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5158849

FDA is rehiring over 1,000 probationary employees that were fired last month after a Maryland federal judge [ordered](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/13/nx-s1-5325694/maryland-court-fired-federal-employees-trump?ref=fdaweb.com) HHS and other federal agencies to reinstate them because proper notice was not provided as required by law. While the Trump administration appeals this and another similar decision by a federal judge in San Francisco, the probationary employees have been reinstated on paid administrative leave, and they were not provided any information on when or whether they would resume work, according to an [NPR report](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/nx-s1-5332139/fired-federal-employees-reinstate-leave?ref=fdaweb.com).

In a [court-ordered filing](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.578045/gov.uscourts.mdd.578045.52.1%5F1.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com), the government this week acknowledged the reinstatement of probationary employees and characterized the substantial burdens it places on the agencies and rehired employees. It said the reinstatement will “cause significant confusion, and cause turmoil for the terminated employees. Specifically, all employees offered reinstatement into full duty status would have to be onboarded again, including going through any applicable training, filling out human resources paperwork, obtaining new security badges, re-enrolling in benefits programs and payroll, reinstituting applicable security clearance actions, receiving government-furnished equipment, and other requisite administrative actions, such as auditing personnel requests to ensure any actions that would have otherwise been taken during their period of separation are completed.”

Meanwhile, FDA is preparing its employees for the next wave of potential government staff cuts under a 2/26 [memo](https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM-OMB%20Memo%20Guidance%20on%20Agency%20RIF%20and%20Reorganization%20Plans%20Requested%20by%20Implementing%20The%20President%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9CDepartment%20of%20Government%20Efficiency%E2%80%9D%20Workforce%20Optimization%20Initiative%202-26-2025.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) asking agencies like FDA to “undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law.” They were ordered to develop and submit by 3/13 agency reorganization plans. FDA held a virtual session last Thursday with 8,000 staff on the RIF efforts, according to the [Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society](https://www.raps.org/News-and-Articles/News-Articles/2025/3/FDA-s-return-to-office-chaos,-probationary-workers?ref=fdaweb.com) (RAPS). As part of the RIF actions, FDA may provide a “reasonable offer” for employees to accept a demotion of up to two general schedule (GS) levels and that staff who refused the pay cut would waive their right to a future severance package.

One FDA employee told RAPS that they would likely leave the agency if they were demoted and said such a move could lead to mass resignations at the agency. “People were flabbergasted by the term ‘reasonable offer,’” the employee said. “It’s laughable. We’d have to take a low-paying job to get severance, whatever that means. There’s no way we could stay.”

Responding to a request for comment, an HHS official told ***FDA Webview*** 3/18 that “FDA is following the administration’s guidance and taking action to support the president’s broader efforts to restructure and streamline the federal government. This is to ensure that FDA better serves the American people at the highest and most efficient standard.”