STAT+: HHS firings could face legal challenges over inaccuracies, process used to make cuts
A week after widespread cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, many workers are left wondering: Was that legal?
WASHINGTON — A week after widespread cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, many workers are left wondering: Was that legal? Some lawyers and labor experts say errors in termination notices and the swift speed and scale of the firings raise legal questions.
The reduction-in-force, or RIF, brought the toll at HHS to 20,000 workers, according to government estimates. Some agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are believed to have lost nearly one-fifth of their workforce, impeding basic functions.
Lawyers and others who have watched the RIFs unfold say it’s not clear if government officials followed the specific rules and processes required by law. A few key issues raise their eyebrows: The kinds of workers who were cut, the way the government drew the boundaries, and the drama unfolding at a critical appeals board.
