The class action seeks to undo mass RIFs at the agency that houses the federal workforce’s core human resources functions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former employees of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have filed a class action appeal seeking reinstatement after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) carried out a Reduction in Force (RIF), impacting hundreds of employees around the country. The RIF, which the former employees allege was done without the required Congressional authorization, effectively shuttered several offices in an agency upon which the entire federal government and workforce rely. The employees served in critical jobs supporting human resources functions servicing all federal employees, including job functions related to retirement services, health insurance programs and information technology.
Many employees targeted by this RIF had led and worked on cutting edge workforce modernization projects – work that DOGE claims to be part of its mission. Programs on the cusp of launch when the RIFs were announced in February included a new electronic personnel file system to replace a cumbersome physical folder system and a digital platform to process online retirement applications.
“I’ve always believed in the American ethos, that we are judged by our merit and as public servants have a higher calling to serve,” said Syed Azeem, a former technology specialist at OPM and plaintiff in the case. “Tech isn’t partisan. I took pride in going above and beyond, even incorporating best practices from the private sector, regardless of the administration. It’s difficult for me to see all the effort I put toward serving the American people being devalued.”
Just days before their RIF took effect, many former employees saw job postings for their positions go up online, though under a different agency. Despite their depth of experience, sterling performance history and wealth of institutional knowledge — some had worked in the federal government for decades — many laid off employees are not able to apply. This caused a chaotic fallout throughout the federal workforce as human resources needs continue to go unmet without experienced employees to process them.
“These employees went through highly competitive processes to get their positions — they are the cream of the crop,” said Chloe Barrett, Associate at Gilbert Employment Law. “It’s hard to see how the American people are better served by losing the years of experience these people brought to the table in keeping agencies across the government running smoothly. Ultimately, it’s the people who rely on those agencies, whether that’s Social Security or Veterans Affairs, who will feel the fallout of the broken system DOGE has created.”
The DOGE-led RIF is a continuation of an effort that failed under the previous Trump administration to abolish OPM and fold its services into the General Services Administration (GSA). At the time, in 2019, the move by then-OMB head Russell T. Vought kicked off a storm of backlash from members of Congress, who argued the move required Congressional approval and would disrupt functions the civil service requires to function. Ultimately, OPM’s independence from such interference was further safeguarded through a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. Vought later included the consolidation of OPM into GSA in Project 2025, of which he is a key author.
If successful, this appeal would restore fired employees to their positions and rehabilitate a battered civil service. The appeal was filed with the Merit System Protection Board.
About Gilbert Employment Law, P.C.
Gilbert Employment Law, P.C., is the worker’s voice in litigation involving employee rights violations. Gilbert’s attorneys are highly skilled in representing federal employees before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and other federal administrative agencies. Gilbert Employment Law, P.C., has also represented employees in county and state courts, as well as U.S. District and Appeals Courts.
For additional information, please visit https://www.gelawyer.com/