As thousands of federal workers continue to face termination, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has announced several actions to help the impacted residents of his state get back on their feet.
“Federal workers have years of expertise and knowledge that are an asset to our state,” the governor’s office said in a Feb. 28 press release. “They are our friends and our neighbors—public servants who raised their hand to serve our country—and we are committed to making it possible for them to stay in Maryland.”
The governor expanded the Maryland Public Servants Resource Website to include what it calls a “Life Work Maryland Job Search,” with nearly 130,000 open job postings already listed in “high-demand industries,” such as IT, life sciences, aerospace, and engineering.
That website was launched on Feb. 14, the day after the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) advised federal agencies to review and terminate all of their probationary employees who were not deemed high-performing or mission-critical.
In terms of supportive benefits, the website assists impacted workers looking for programs they may be eligible for, including care and emergency financial assistance exclusively for veterans.
The governor’s office announced that about 450 federal employees have already filed for unemployment insurance benefits.
An initiative was also launched to recruit federal workers to take open state government jobs specifically, and the governor recently signed three memorandums directing the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Department of Budget and Management, the Maryland State Department of Education, and the Maryland Higher Education Commission to take necessary action to improve state and local hiring practices. Those actions appear to primarily focus on expediting the former federal employees’ transitions, as well as assist them in understanding what jobs they may be qualified for, and what additional credentials or licensing may be necessary.
Separately, Moore announced a new online resource page dedicated to helping federal workers find a secondary career as a public school teacher. The governor’s office points out that more than 1,600 Maryland public school classrooms are currently understaffed.
Several job fairs are also scheduled for later in March.
The governor’s work to re-employ federal workers comes as many of those federal employees are taking the OPM to court, demanding they be reinstated to their positions.
Senior District Judge William Alsup of the Northern California District Court provided partial relief on Feb. 27 for probationary employees represented by non-union organizations, ordering their immediate reinstatement to agencies including the National Parks Service, every agency within the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the Small Business Bureau, and the Department of Defense.
He also ordered that OPM’s request be stopped and rescinded because of the possibility of more federal employees being let go under the request.
The plaintiffs in his case argue that OPM ordered the heads of federal agencies to terminate its employees rather than simply provide guidance for their own voluntary action. An evidentiary hearing is set to determine that accusation on March 13.
In January, the Trump administration warned federal employees of its impending cuts to the federal workforce as part of its goal of enhancing governmental efficiency and offered most full-time employees buyouts under a “deferred resignation” initiative to help workers through their job transition.
OPM sent emails outlining the proposal to 2 million federal workers, offering a package of full salary and benefits through Sept. 30 provided employees resigned by Feb. 12. About 75,000 federal workers signed up for the buyout offer, which is proceeding after overcoming challenges in court.
