A federal judge in Massachusetts has temporarily halted a plan by the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce by offering over two million employees the option to voluntarily resign in exchange for paid leave through September.
The initiative, aimed at downsizing the federal government, was introduced last month when employees received emails urging them to resign before the offer expired at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, according to The New York Times.
However, Judge George O’Toole Jr. issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Office of Personnel Management from proceeding with the plan until a scheduled hearing on Monday afternoon.
He also directed both parties involved—the government and the plaintiffs—to prepare for oral arguments.
“I enjoin the defendants from taking action to implement the so-called Fork directive, pending the completion of briefing and oral argument on the issues,” the judge stated.
The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by several government unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the National Association of Government Employees.
The unions argued that the initiative is unlawful and violates workers’ rights.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that over 40,000 employees had already accepted the offer before the judge’s ruling. It remains unclear how the decision will impact those who have already agreed to resign under the program.
