The Trump administration has directed over 260 employees in the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to resume work on December 15, Bloomberg reports, even as a court case concerning their employment remains unresolved. These staff members were placed on paid leave in March as part of an attempted reduction in force (RIF) affecting the department’s approximately 4,000-person workforce.

In a communication to staff, the department stated that while the administration continues to support the planned dismissals, it requires employees to return temporarily “to contribute to the enforcement of existing civil rights complaints.” Officials emphasised that the reinstatement is interim and contingent on the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.

Most of the earlier RIF actions were upheld by the Supreme Court in July. However, employees in the Office for Civil Rights have remained on administrative leave with full salaries and benefits pending a separate judicial review. Julie Hartman, a department spokesperson, confirmed the email and noted that the administration is continuing its RIF effort while temporarily reinstating staff “currently being compensated by American taxpayers.”

The move underscores the complexity of implementing government-wide workforce reductions in departments that perform sensitive oversight functions, highlighting the intersection of administrative policy and judicial review.