The Trump administration is intensifying its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.

Workers across the federal government were terminated on Thursday after the federal government’s human resources division advised agencies to lay off most probationary employees.

Employees across several agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Education and Department of Energy, have all been affected, with many being given notice Thursday.

The Office of Personnel Management met with agencies across the federal government on Thursday and directed them to fire all employees still on probation a year or more after being hired. Federal employees can be on probation from one to two years after being hired.