Barely two weeks after they were fired, dozens of young scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were reinstated on Tuesday — at least temporarily.
Over the afternoon, fellows from two of the agency’s prestigious training programs were told they were cleared to return to work on Wednesday.
“After further review and consideration, the notification to terminate your appointment, effective February 15, 2025, has been rescinded,” the emails said.
The fellows had been let go as part of the push to cut federal probationary employees — those employed for less than a year — that caused thousands of scientists from the C.D.C. and other agencies to lose their jobs.
On Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management walked back its previous order to fire the employees and said “agencies have ultimate decision-making authority over, and responsibility for, such personnel actions.”
The concession is the result of a union victory on Thursday, when a California judge ruled that the O.P.M. had exceeded its authority in instructing agencies to fire an estimated 200,000 probationary workers.
One of the C.D.C.’s fellowship programs placed young scientists at local health departments; the other deployed laboratory scientists to help investigations. Cutting the fellows caused an uproar in the scientific community because they were seen as future leaders in the nation’s fight against public health threats, including infectious diseases such as bird flu.
“Please someone explain the efficiency,” said Gael Cruanes, a fellow who had been placed in New York City’s health department to help detect cases of tuberculosis.
But the workers’ rehiring may be short-lived. The C.D.C.’s leaders have been ordered to deliver plans for slashing the agency’s work force through layoffs by March 13, and have already begun choosing which employees will be let go.
If they follow the rules, probationary employees would be the first to be cut. “Essentially, they are being told to come back now, with the certainty of being cut within the next few weeks, maybe months if it takes that long,” said one senior official with knowledge of the matter who was not authorized to speak on the record.
It “remains quite the roller-coaster ride for everyone,” the official said.
The fellows would tend to agree. (Some asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.) Those who received the email were not sure at first whether to trust that it was an official notice.
“We were allegedly reinstated today but have little to no guidance on what this means,” said one fellow.
“It’s insanity,” said another.
“This reinstatement only happened because a federal judge told them to do it — they’re not going to stop,” the fellow said. “They’re just going to attempt to ‘legally’ fire us this time.”
Some fellows were not ready to come back to the office even if they were allowed to. They had started new jobs, or had moved cities.
“I just signed a lease and job offer this morning,” said one fellow in the Public Health Associate Program, which places young scientists in local health departments across the country.
The email did not address any of the questions the fellows had about their near- or long-term future at the agency if they were to return.
“We apologize for any disruption that this may have caused,” it said.
