Business Insider quoted Managing Shareholder Alan Lescht in an article on the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to allow the Trump administration to move forward with a mass reduction in force (RIF) across federal agencies. In the article, titled “What we know so far about how federal job cuts could play out,” reporters Juliana Kaplan and Ayelet Sheffey wrote:
Alan Lescht, an employment attorney at Alan Lescht & Associates specializing in federal workers, said that the SCOTUS ruling means agencies can move forward with their original RIF plans as soon as they want.
There’s been a lot of people on administrative leave pending whether these RIFs would go forward or not,” Lescht said, referring to federal workers who were put on leave as their employment status remained up in the air. It’s now up to the administration to decide if those terminations will proceed. “If they’re going to go forward, then they’ll send out notices that you’re hereby removed and you have 30 days to file an appeal at the Merit System Protection Board.”
Lescht said that there may be more legal hurdles to come as RIFs proceed; he suspects that there will be other lawsuits filed by public service unions challenging the proceedings. Union officials noted that the SCOTUS order only stays an injunction in the case they weighed in on, meaning other RIF cases might still move forward; they also noted that since the decision does not address whether the restructuring is illegal, there could be continued litigation on the RIFs.
Read the complete article on Business Insider’s website: https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-job-cuts-how-when-firings-could-happen-for-workers-2025-7
Do I need an employment lawyer?
Although the Supreme Court gave the federal government the greenlight to implement federal RIF plans, agencies must comply with federal laws and regulations. For example, the law still prohibits the government from using a RIF to discriminate against employees based on race, sex, age, disability, and other protected characteristics. If your federal agency issues you notice of a RIF or offers you a “buy out,” an experienced employment attorney can help you understand your rights. If you have questions about federal government RIF, Alan Lescht and Associates, P.C., can help. Our attorneys represent federal government employees around the world, as well as private-sector and state and local government employees in Washington, DC, Maryland, and northern Virginia. We provide experienced legal representation in cases involving termination of employment and other employment-related matters.
