Mass firings. Job uncertainty. Bigger workloads. A demand to list accomplishments. Stress hives. Borrowing from retirement funds.

The Trump administration’s executive orders aimed at the federal workforce have rapidly transformed many lives. Government employees are questioning the long-held notions of stability and prestige that once defined civil service. With many colleagues being shown the door, they wonder if they’re next.

The Banner is collecting these experiences. We asked the question, “How has the Trump administration’s policies affected your agency or job?” We contacted respondents to verify their identities and ask permission to publish their stories. The federal employees asked for anonymity out of fear of being targeted by the administration.

‘Coworkers worry daily, sometimes hourly, about being fired’

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid • Employee of eight months

The day-to-day impacts at work and at home have been huge. A number of coworkers on my team have been fired, which has increased our workload. This is in addition to the ongoing communications freeze which adds significant complications to daily tasks.

Over time, leadership has become more stringent with communication, requiring more layers of review before sending out even a “public” email, causing a work backlog. Inconsistent or last-minute communications about things like travel bans have also impacted conferences and in-person meetings that were already planned.

The executive orders also impact overarching policy and strategic goals. For example, Trump’s EO around prescription drugs has put some in the crosshairs, leaving staff feeling uncertain about direction.

Morale at work is quite low. The firings, return-to-office and direction changes are constant topics of conversation. Coworkers worry daily, sometimes hourly, about being fired. Many say they dread receiving emails.

I feel much more uncertain about my entire future and career now. One of my parents worked for 40+ years for the federal government, and it was always a goal of mine around mid-career to move out of private industry and into civil service — both for the stability but also because of how proud it made my parent to work for the American people.

I care deeply about improving health outcomes, and I take value in knowing that my work is directly impacting people’s lives for the better. I had originally considered completing the entire rest of my career in the federal government, a goal which now seems impossible. I am worried I will either be fired, or the workplace will be made so hostile that I am driven out. Many coworkers I’ve spoken to outside of work have verbalized similar sentiments — mulling over leaving, but unhappy about returning to the private sector.

I also worry about even being able to find a job if I leave/am fired, given that there is probably going to be a glut of highly qualified public health professionals competing for a shrinking pool of positions.

‘It’s creating a lot of sleepless nights'

USAID • Contractor of two years

The changes have brought massive uncertainty around our family’s financial situation. With a significant loss of income, we are forced to make difficult decisions around what we can and can’t afford. We are looking at ways to offset the income loss in the short term, while trying to find a solution in the long term. It’s creating a lot of sleepless nights, wondering how we’re going to make ends meet.

I had been working as a contractor with multiple teams within USAID since early 2023. The departments I supported directly worked to make communities across Africa, South and Central America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia more stable. Those programs help make America safer, by mitigating opportunities for bad actors around the world to influence those same communities.

I was a registered Republican for 20 years, and now I’m an independent. It sickens me to be characterized by the Republican Party as some kind of criminal simply for supporting global activities that make America safer.

‘I do not intend on going anywhere willingly’

Fort Meade • Contractor of 11 years

Every day I log into my government computer with the thought “What fresh hell awaits me today?” To be honest, I was expecting the removal of DEI-related content from workforce resource materials as soon as I heard the election was called, but not to the level that it has been.

For example, while I was not eligible to take part as a contractor, there were groups called Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). They were essentially support groups. Yes there were ones that were specific to what people think of when they thing “DEI” such as ones specifically for black employees, employees with disabilities, LGBTQ+ employees etc. but they also included veterans support groups, which is a huge part of the federal workforce.

Additionally, posters around government buildings advertising they are protected against discrimination and how to report discrimination in the workplace were immediately removed which was not comfortable. While I’m not in one of the “targeted groups,” so to speak, that’s a very eerie thing to witness, having workers protections literally stripped away.

As for myself personally, while things may get uncomfortable, I did take an oath to defend and protect the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, so I do not intend on going anywhere willingly, because I see what’s going on right now as a domestic threat. And while I may not be able to do anything as one person with limited resources, people like myself leaving is exactly what the current administration wants.

That said, I’m not in an unrealistic state of mind either. I’m brushing up on some skills I may not have used in a while in the event I need to enter the private sector. As disheartening as that is, I know it’s a very real possibility as I hear that DOGE has had meetings at the Pentagon.

‘We’re about to be overworked'

General Services Administration • Employee of more than two years

We did have at least a hundred colleagues on probation get laid off. There have been others who took the deferred resignation or retire and not want to deal with what’s coming. We’re about to be overworked with what is leftover and could possibly have reorganization across the agency.

‘I now do not feel any protection or stability’

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Employee of two years

The return to office every day for our district started recently. My commute already has nearly doubled since other agencies had already returned full-time. I took a federal job to avoid layoffs, and for the pension you receive after 30 years. I was planning on staying long-term, but now I am uncertain. I now do not feel any protection or stability from getting terminated. As such I have joined the federal employees union for protection.

‘We will have to adjust our lives a lot’

USDA • Employee of four years

We officially got called back into the office five days a week recently. I reached out to a bunch of people in Locust Point Facebook groups about the commute, and there are a few other federal workers who are in the same position. Every agency has a different day they’re being called back, but I imagine once everyone is, traffic and congestion will be insane.

My husband owns the home we live in, and we love Locust Point so we have no plans of moving right now. I like my job and being a public servant, but we will have to adjust our lives a lot starting with waking up a lot earlier in the morning so he can drop me off at the train. Our dog will have to adjust to going to work with my husband instead of sitting by my side or on my lap all day.

Otherwise, nothing much has changed in our office, aside from a lot of emails and last-minute staff meetings about future potential changes.

‘I have lost so much productivity staring into space’

National Cancer Institute • Employee of nine years

I am the primary wage earner for my family. I am very grateful that my husband decided to work part-time and care for all three of our children until they reached preschool.

Working remotely for the government has been life-changing for us. We were able to buy a house in Baltimore in 2021 (something exceedingly rare for millennials like ourselves) in order to stay in the city we loved, where we had already built up a community. We are able to commit to a healthier lifestyle for our family; because I don’t have a three-hour daily commute, I am able to provide home-cooked meals every day of the week, see my children home from school every day, breastfeed my babies until they are ready to wean, and be there to witness all of their amazing milestones.

At first, I was disappointed to hear about the back-to-work order because my life would be upended for little to no reason. For an administration who claims to care about families, particularly advocating for larger families, the back-to-work order conflicts with what we parents value so highly as remote workers — the opportunity to raise our families in healthier and more supportive environments than the environments in which we were raised.

Over the past few weeks, however, I have gone from worrying about my commute to worrying about my livelihood. My boss was terminated. Rumors are swirling about who might be next. I have lost so much productivity staring into space, wondering what I’ll do if I lose my job and can’t pay my mortgage or gas and electric bill. Most surprising, though, has been the vehemence with which the administration and now the general public treat government employees. We are told that mass terminations are due to poor performance instead of reduction in force, that we should “get real jobs” and “learn real skills,” that we are parasites.

Speaking for myself, I worked hard to obtain what was once a secure and fulfilling job (six years of college, five years in an unrelated field, five years as a contractor). I love this job because I can exercise my skills (writing), I believe in the cause, and my coworkers are so kind and understanding. I am far from wealthy, struggling to make ends meet with rising food and insurance prices as well as crippling debt. I am hoping that those with jobs in the private sector can relate to that, and we can start to change the narrative of government work.

‘We had a mass firing in the middle of the night’

National Institutes of Health • Employee, federal worker of 15 years

We had a mass firing in the middle of the night. We lost 50 people just in our sector, and from what leadership told us 2,000 so far have been let go. We had research staff, lab staff, doctors let go. It’s been very traumatic for all of us. We feel the rules just don’t apply anymore, our rights and protections that federal workers once knew are gone.

I work in government contracts, and I spend your tax dollars. I have been in national defense, veterans affairs and many other agencies. I have never seen or experienced government like this ever before. It’s different this time. I have never felt so attacked nor felt like such a pawn in all of my career. We were told that it was business as usual as I am remote, then told I needed to be in, decide if I resign, or come into the office fully. It’s really thrown our lives in the air and livelihoods at stake if we don’t do as they say.

We were told nobody is safe and more layoffs are imminent until they get to the percentage they want was told they went to reduce staff by 75% I don’t know how realistic that is. Another government shutdown may be imminent — another layer to the onion as not only do we have to deal.

I don’t understand how this is about efficiency, when I now have to commute two and a half hours one way. We are in the dark about so much until we get these emails in the night that we wake up to.

‘There is not enough space in any building’

FDA • Employee of more than three years

I actually have an update from my initial response. We received notice a few weeks ago from the Department of Health and Human Services that non-bargaining unit employees (supervisors and upper management not covered by the union) would be returning to office by the end of February and bargaining unit employees (covered by the union) would have to return to office in mid-March. At the time of writing this email, non-bargaining unit employees do not have an assigned office or desk, only a specific building to report to. Bargaining unit employees do not have any idea what building they will be reporting to.

As of right now there is not enough space in any building to house those expected to return. It’s cruel and barbaric to expect people to come to work when there is little to no plan in place that has been communicated to staff. Also, the union that represents bargaining unit employees has not been included in these plans. The union is in charge of assigning offices based on a merit system. I honestly do not have an issue with returning to office. I would just like to know where it is and if it can accommodate me and everyone else.

The most worrying thing though is the recent illegal mass firings. To my knowledge, all probationary employees (less than one year of service) from my office were terminated over the weekend using a blanket statement of poor performance. This includes employees who were on probationary periods that came with promotions, regardless of how many years served in the federal government. Some teams were disproportionately affected since they had more probationary employees. Nobody feels 100% secure in their job, but I plan on staying for as long as I possibly can since I serve the American people, not the president.

‘I pulled money from my 401k’

Small Business Administration • Employee of one month

I was initially hired in November 2024, but with the issues and mess getting the budget passed, I was finally able to start in January. And now the whole government and world are upside down, and no one knows what’s coming from day to day.

Since I was hired based on a disaster relief surge program, I don’t believe I classify as a probationary employee, so I could be safe, but nothing is safe anymore. So we don’t know.

Also, I currently live in Maryland, but my office is based in Dallas. I may be able to remain remote because of the disaster relief program hire policy. Again, nothing is fully known or understood about what’s going on, or how this new administration is seeking to achieve whatever goals they are aiming to accomplish.

Since everything is so up in the air, no one is safe. I pulled money from my 401k just in case — to cover any bills if it comes to that. I just got off unemployment for the last few months (and still haven’t received my money from unemployment insurance). But I am really bracing myself for the unexpected, because that’s all that has occurred since this administration has taken over.

The first couple of weeks, when [Trump] was issuing all those executive orders and no one was stopping him, I was so sick and stressed with all the “breaking news” every other hour, I could not sleep. I couldn’t sleep well for the first two weeks and was so stressed I broke out in hives all over my body and just recently got a prescription from my doctor to treat it. I had to take a step away and not internalize all the news. I took a break and just watched comedy shows to bring up my cortisol levels and relieve my stress and anxiety. I’m doing better now, especially seeing all the lawsuits coming and finally some protests and Congressional pushing back. Like, something has to give. This can’t sustain itself.

‘I’ll have to pick up the slack’

U.S. Geological Survey • Consultant of more than five years

There’s a lot of frustration in the air. We work as consultants, and our income is directly tied to the hours we put in, but now there are younger coworkers who aren’t getting projects and are living paycheck to paycheck. We’re having to scramble to find work for them so they can cover their bills. On top of that, there have been cuts to internship funding, which means I’ll have to pick up the slack, or someone nearly as expensive as me will need to.

I recently caught up with some friends from grad school who are in the same field, and it turns out they’re all dealing with similar challenges. It feels like we’re all stuck in the same situation — like we’re waiting for something to change, but no one knows when that might be.

‘Everything is kept secret’

Internal Revenue Service • Employee of six years

In the days since President Trump has taken office, I have witnessed an unprecedented level of mismanagement, uncertainty, and fear amongst my federal employee peers. When I ask any questions, even simple HR questions, senior leadership has no answers and everything is kept secret. A billionaire and his team of enforcers, disguised as federal employees, have sent out intimidating emails to my peers and me requesting resignations and forcing dedicated public servants to justify the very work that keeps this country running.

I did not choose this career to be bullied by billionaires and extremist groups. I chose it for stability for my family, because I believe in a commitment to public service, and I have a responsibility to uphold the nation’s institutions. Instead, I, as a federal employee, am being vilified and slandered to the public, pressured, and treated as an obstacle or burden rather than the backbone of government operations. Whether it be in the office or on meetings, the general mood has become bleak; we all are sick with apprehension as we try to navigate such strenuous circumstances with little empathy or direction.

To make matters worse, my coworkers and I are being ordered back into overcrowded, poorly maintained workplaces. The desks and working spaces that are available are often already filled; I currently share my desk with one other employee, and we have to alternate in office days. The buildings are dirty with inadequate air filtration and, in some cases, even unsafe drinking and handwashing water. I have had to bring my own water in bulk to wash my hands during working hours. The irony is not lost on me that my peers and I are being threatened with non-compliance when the office does not meet staff needs.

The real enemy is not me, the dedicated employee and disabled veteran; I have devoted my career and livelihood to serving this country for the last 13 years. The real enemy is the reckless decision-making that puts Americans, patriots, civil servants, and civilians in danger while undermining the very functions that keep this government — and this nation — strong.

Responses have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

Baltimore Banner reporter Hayes Gardner contributed to this compilation.