Federal workers have ‘feeling of dread’ as second Trump term looms
Government staff are ‘on edge’ and ‘bracing’ themselves for a second Donald Trump presidency, according to a report by CTV News. Trump, who has derided civil servants as agents of the “deep state,” promised on the campaign trail to reinstate a 2020 executive order known as Schedule F, giving him the power to commence mass firings of nonpartisan federal employees who might spoil Trump’s partisan plans. “I would say there is a general feeling of dread among everyone,” one Energy Department employee told CNN. Trump’s purge could be the biggest change to the federal workforce since the late 1800s, returning the federal government to the “spoils system” of 1883 when victorious political parties gave government jobs to their supporters, said Max Stier, the president and CEO of Partnership for Public Service. The spoils system was replaced by the current merit-based system where career employees serve multiple administrations, carrying out their jobs independent of politics. “What’s at stake here is the nature of our government, how it works and who it works for,” Stier told CNN. “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail,” Trump transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “He will deliver.”
Fears over what Trump’s deportation plans could mean for immigrant workers
Staffing agencies are said to be watching things ‘very carefully’ after president-elect Donald Trump announced that Tom Homan, the former acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will be his administration’s “border czar.” Trump swept into power last week, promising to deliver the nation’s biggest mass deportation of illegal immigrants. But not only are economists and labor specialists worried about the economic impact of policies that would deport workers already in the US both documented and undocumented, but one estimate suggests GDP could shrink by between $1.1 and $1.7 trillion should a mass removal of undocumented workers occur. “The morning after the election, we sat down as a leadership team and asked what does this mean for talent availability?” said Jason Leverant, president and COO of the AtWork Group, a franchise-based national staffing agency, according to CNBC. He added: “If the proposed immigration policies come into reality, there could be significant impact.” According to the left-leaning Center for American Progress, the number of undocumented immigrants is around 11.3 million, with 7 million of them working. The American Immigration Council, an advocacy group in favor of expanding immigration also puts the number of undocumented people in the United States around 11 million. But Chad Prinkey, the CEO of Well Built Construction Consulting said: “We need these workers; what we all want is for them to be documented; we want to know who they are, where they are, and make sure they are paying taxes; we don’t want them gone.”
Worker sacked for telling staff not to help Trump-supporting hurricane survivors
A worker from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has been sacked for suggesting that staff should not help hurricane survivors who have evidence of signs supporting for Donald Trump at their homes. In a statement to the press, FEMA administrator, Deanne Criswell, called the worker’s behaviour “reprehensible.” The statement also confirmed that the unnamed employee, who has not been identified, had been fired. She added: “Recently, one FEMA employee departed from our values to advise her survivor assistance team to not go to homes with yard signs supporting president-elect Trump. This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.” Florida was recently hit by back-to-back hurricanes: Helene and Milton. The storms left more than 200 people dead in their wake, with many homes in North Carolina and Georgia being destroyed. Ms Creswell, who did not clarify where or when the incident occurred, and said more than 22,000 FEMA employees are dedicated to helping people impacted by disasters. “We take our mission to help everyone before, during and after disasters seriously,” she said. “This employee has been terminated and we have referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel.”
Texas names best state for veterans…
In the week that celebrates Veterans Day, Austin, Texas, has been named as the best place for veterans to find work, according to a poll by WalletHub. After applying 19 different metrics to more than 100 cities, Austin came out top, having the 9th-highest median annual income for veterans (at more than $59,000); the 10th spot for veteran employment; the number 4 spot for quality of life; the 11th-highest number of restaurants and arts/entertainment establishments per capita offering military discounts; and by virtue of it being predicted to have the second-largest projected increase in veterans between now and 2050. It also holds the number 32 spot for veteran health, according to the study. Austin is followed in the list by Orlando, Florida and Raleigh, North Carolina. Although there are more than 10 other Texas cities on the list, Austin remains at the top, with the next closest Texan city being Laredo at No. 12. The US has more than 17.9 million veterans, although it is still the case that 35,000 of them are homeless. But American veterans do now have a 2.8% unemployment rate, compared to the national rate of 3.9%.
…as Cushman & Wakefield is named 2025 Military Friendly Employer
Global real estate firm, Cushman & Wakefield has been certified as amongst America’s top ten 2025 Military Friendly® Employers, securing fifth place in the list. The ranking marks the third successive year the business has been ranked in the top ten, and the seventh consecutive year it has been named a Military Friendly Employer. To reach this standard, firms must demonstrate commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the community of active duty, reserves, guard, veterans and their spouses. Organizations that exceed standards are recognized as part of the Top 10, Gold, Silver or Bronze in categories based on revenue. Commenting on the listing, Andrew McDonald, global president and COO of Cushman & Wakefield said: “Cushman & Wakefield values the unique skills, resilience and leadership our veteran and military spouse colleagues bring to our team. Their dedication enriches our culture and enhances our ability to deliver exceptional results for clients across our business.”
Americans’ ‘Dream Jobs’ revealed
Nearly half of Americans (43%) claim to have a ‘dream job’ – although a greater percentage of people (46%) claim they don’t – suggesting many more people are just doing what they do to pay the bills rather than because they actually see it as their true vocation. The poll, run by Talker Research between October 21 and 24, asked 1,000 Americans about their dream jobs, and it found there were clear generational differences in attitude too – with younger generations being more likely to have a dream job in mind than older counterparts. Some 61% of Gen Z employees said they had a dream job, compared to just 28% of Baby Boomers. When asked what their dream jobs were though, there was a mix of traditional and modern roles, flexible work ideals and a particular interest in self employment. In a rebuttal of traditional employment, the poll found that many of the respondents said they wanted to be their own boss. Significant numbers of others wanted to work in the creative arts and media, while – reflecting a shift in work culture – many respondents desired jobs with flexibility, remote work, and better work-life balance. A recurring dream was “working from home, making enough to pay the bills,” showing the value people place on autonomy and time at home.
Verizon to pay $115,000 to settle needs-accommodation claims
Verizon Maryland LLP is paying $115,000 to settle a federal disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to the lawsuit, a management employee (who suffered from hypertension), asked his manager to move to a field position or to an alternate management position to accommodate his disability. Despite there being an opening for a field position that the employee had previously held, Verizon did not allow him to compete for that position, telling him he would have to resign and reapply for the position in six months. The company offered no other accommodation, was not offered opportunities to compete for other vacant management positions, and the employee was forced to quit due to medical necessity, the suit said. According to the EEOC, Verizon’s behavior violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability. As well as paying the settlement, Verizon has been ordered to provide training on the ADA, including training around the specific statement that resignation and reapplication is not a reasonable accommodation. The company must also report to the EEOC on how it handles any future disability discrimination complaints.