Former VA Employee Discusses Unfair Firing Amidst Trump Administration Job Cuts

Unfair Termination from VA

• 🎯 Marcy Newburn, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and disabled veteran, was terminated from her probationary employee role at the VA after 11 months.
• ⚠️ Her termination notice cited "unsatisfactory performance," despite a performance appraisal in December marking her as "fully successful and exceptional" and awarding her two time-off awards.
• 💬 Newburn expressed complete shock, stating she had never had any negative feedback on her performance in any job before.

Challenges with the Termination Process

• 📧 Newburn's termination notice arrived after hours, preventing her from discussing it with anyone immediately.
• ⚖️ She has filed appeals with the Merit System Protection Board and the Office of Special Counsel.
• 📣 She and former colleagues are reaching out to media to highlight their perceived wrongful terminations.

Criticism of VA Downsizing

• 📉 Newburn believes the Trump administration's plan to cut 80,000 VA jobs is disrespectful to veterans.
• 🧩 She feels that terminating employees is not a proper solution for addressing waste and overspending in the federal government.
• 💡 She suggests that performance-based issues should be properly documented and that performing individuals should not be let go.

Professionalism in Terminations

• 🚫 Drawing from her HR experience, Newburn describes the termination process as highly unprofessional and unlike anything she has witnessed before.
• 👥 She notes that leadership was not even aware of the terminations, which seemed to come from outside the organization.

Future Plans and Outlook

• 🌱 Newburn is committed to continuing her service to veterans and their families, including volunteering to help with disability claims.
• 💼 She hopes to find another position, potentially with the VA or elsewhere, and continues to teach part-time at a community college.
• 🚫 She does not believe that the mass layoffs will be for the betterment of the government.