A group of former employees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have penned a letter to agency leadership, urging for their positions to be reinstated. These individuals, who were in probationary roles, represent approximately 14% of the workforce terminated as part of extensive federal agency cuts on Valentine's Day. Their previous responsibilities spanned crucial areas such as cancer prevention, food safety, infectious disease preparedness, overdose prevention, and global health initiatives.

The letter, addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CDC leadership, highlights concerns about the legality and process of their terminations. Many of these workers are set to lose their paid administrative leave by Friday, marking four weeks since they received termination notices. The employees argue that their dismissal did not adhere to proper due process and request that HHS uphold its standards of accountability and transparency. Last week, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management reiterated that agencies hold ultimate responsibility for personnel matters, but stopped short of reversing the layoffs. Meanwhile, the American Federation of Government Employees has called for the rehiring of these dismissed workers.

In the past two years, the CDC had identified these employees as essential to its mission and selected them through a stringent hiring process. They emphasize their dedication to public health and service to the American people. While some agencies have begun rehiring previously laid-off staff, many remain uncertain about their future or have returned to a competitive job market. This situation underscores the importance of maintaining a stable and skilled workforce in critical health and science sectors, ensuring continued public health protection and scientific advancement.