"Probationary employees receiving the email have been working at the agency for less than a year. The emails began to go out on late Wednesday afternoon, according to an EPA union official.
The same message will be sent to other agency workforces, a White House official said. Across the US government, the latest data shows there are more than 220,000 employees on probation."
https://whdh.com/news/epa-workers-receive-emails-warning-their-employment-could-be-terminated/
Ah, but if it's one of their BIG projects, "they" get exceptions. Seen it happen many times: CA High Speed Rail for example.
This is exactly it.
Corporation with a chemical spill? No problem.
Farmer wanting to build a new shed? No way.