Firings of hundreds of CDC employees reportedly reversed

"The firings of hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been reversed, according to several reports citing officials familiar with the matter, and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing federal workers. On Friday, the White House budget office announced that as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, reductions in force (RIFs) across agencies have begun."

"However, over the weekend, the administration rescinded more than half of the 1,300 termination notices it sent to public health officials at the CDC, according to Axios and Reuters, citing sources familiar. Around 600 people at the agency remain fired. On Saturday, the New York Times reported that members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), informally known as disease detectives, as well as the team that compiles the widely respected scientific journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, were among the employees reinstated."

"A senior administration official told the Times that the mistakenly fired workers were sent incorrect notifications, adding that any correction has already been remedied. A federal health official also told ABC News that the mistake was due to a coding error. Neither the White House nor HHS have immediately responded to the Guardian's requests for comment about how many employees have been recalled to their roles."

Hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had firings reversed after initial layoff notices tied to the government shutdown's reductions in force. The White House budget office announced that RIFs across agencies had begun, and HHS initially said notified employees were designated non-essential. Over the weekend, the administration rescinded more than half of the 1,300 termination notices sent to public health officials, while around 600 employees remain terminated. Members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service and staff who compile the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report were among those reinstated. Officials attributed some mistaken notifications to errors, including a coding mistake.

Read at www.theguardian.com