Federal workers fired by Elon Musk’s DOGE are sharing their anxieties on Reddit

Elon Musk’s aggressive push to cut government spending reached new heights on Valentine’s Day, as employees across more than two dozen federal government departments were abruptly fired on Valentine’s Day—with those let go warning it could impact how the government operates.

Jack, who spoke on condition of a pseudonym (as did every ex-federal worker in this story), started working with the National Parks Service in April 2023. It was a dream job for him. “I took to it quickly, and the combination of the dynamic work and beautiful environment had me hooked,” Jack tells Fast Company. Jack took to the role like a duck to water: After his six-month first season working for the government, Jack scored above-average ratings in his first performance evaluation, which led to a transition into a new role, tackling major fires in the area he lives in near the national park at which he worked.

Jack’s response to the fires impressed his boss, who told him a 10-year full-time position would soon be coming up for candidates. Jack applied and was chosen for the position in late September 2024. “I accepted graciously, and at 27, was absolutely thrilled to be in a position to make a full career with the parks and in federal service,” he says. “I pride myself in my work ethic, and my commitment to the taxpayers and citizens to be as efficient and effective as I possibly can, and that work ethic was also recognized by non-parks community members.”

Jack continued progressing in his job, but began to realize that things were amiss after Donald Trump took office, and tasked Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash federal spending. “Uncertainty started to creep in, and around February 5 or 6, rumors of probationary firings started to circulate,” says Jack.

In the last week, the tension has gradually risen around Jack as gossip spread throughout the government. On Valentine’s Day, Jack began receiving messages from friends in other park units that probation workers like him were getting fired. “At 4:45 p.m., my boss swung by my house, and broke the news that I had been terminated, showing me the email that claimed my performance was substandard and I was not necessary to the operations of the park,” he says. This is not true, Jack claims, because he had just gone through a midterm evaluation that had rated him as astounding. The federal Office for Personnel Management (OPM) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jack and his wife were cooking Valentine’s Day dinner at the time. “When I received the news, I was completely heartbroken,” he says. “I don’t cry often, but I absolutely lost it. I worked very, very hard, in a dangerous profession, to earn the position I was in, and to have it taken away from me truly hurt.”

Jack is far from alone. “I received the termination email at 6:09 p.m. Central on Thursday night,” says Casey, another ex-government employee. (Again, Casey spoke on condition of a pseudonym.) “My working day typically ends at 4:30 p.m., so this was after hours, like all emails we have received from Musk’s OPM team.” Like others, Casey was told she was being terminated immediately for poor performance. “I texted my supervisor that same night I received the email. He wasn’t aware this was happening. He called his supervisor, who also wasn’t aware,” she says. “That supervisor called the state office, who also knew nothing of these terminations.”

Casey expected this to happen—rumors had been flying around the government after Musk had begun cutting teams to the bone elsewhere—but it still hit hard. “I have a 1-year-old child at home,” she says. “We don’t have savings due to the cost of living these days.” Casey’s husband was recently laid off from a nonfederal job. “I honestly don’t know what we’re going to do,” she says.

The experience—and the feeling of helplessness that ensued after receiving the email—is one that many government employees are sharing right now. “To me personally it has been devastating not only because I no longer have my dream job,” says Derek. Derek, who works at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, was ranked as “Exceeded Expectations & Above Excellence” in his 2024 performance review. “Now I am in a position where I have to actively be looking and researching what my next steps are going to be, because I financially cannot wait to see if they take me back and I also can’t stop fighting to get clarity on what my rights are,” Derek says. “The only thing keeping me sane is that at least I know I am not alone, there are thousands of people in my same boat.”

Derek learned he was fired at 7:43 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, around 10 minutes after he had read a Reddit thread where federal employees like him have been commiserating with one another. “I was terrified reading what they were posting and keeping track of the agencies being affected,” he says. “A lot of people seem to be afraid of disclosing where they work, which I totally understand.”

Reddit has proven useful to Jack and his boss, too. “My boss and I both were using Reddit and news articles to get information on what is going on, as we were completely left in the dark from higher-ups,” he says. Reddit has been similarly vital for Casey. “I hoped it wasn’t true, or would be limited,” she says. “But it wasn’t. Reddit has almost been our ‘breaking news’ source the past few weeks.”

Jack adds: “It eases the pain of losing my job knowing I’m not alone, and that people are taking the mantle up to fight this, but it honestly made me irate that so many hardworking people, people who just started their careers in government, were being wronged in such a callous way.”

It’s unclear what the future holds for those probationary staff. Some who have posted in the Reddit threads are considering legal action, while others seem to prefer to simply move on from the whole ordeal. But many agree that the broader impact will soon be felt by millions of Americans. “We are in bad shape for the future,” says Jack, “and I hope more exposure of this fact will start to scare people that haven’t directly been affected by the impacts of these decisions.”

https://www.fastcompany.com/91280346/federal-workers-fired-by-elon-musks-doge-are-sharing-their-anxieties-on-reddit?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss