A court-ordered pause in May covered nearly two dozen federal agencies at different stages of executing President Trump’s directive for mass layoffs. The Supreme Court said the administration could proceed.

Business Insider spoke with 16 federal workers after the Supreme Court decision that will allow federal staff cuts to continue.

SCOTUS allowed President Trump’s federal workforce cuts to proceed temporarily, pausing a lower court block while legal challenges continue.

EPA Region 2, which includes New York and New Jersey, had 13 staffers placed on leave. The AFGE Local 3911 union that represents them said the involuntary leaves were retaliation for signing a letter opposing agency chief Lee Zeldin’s policies on the grounds they “undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.”

Federal employees in Maryland anxiously await the Supreme Court’s decision on whether the Trump administration will be allowed to proceed with firing thousands of federal government workers.

Most agencies will now face a moratorium on hiring at least through mid-October after Trump issues his third freeze order.

President Trump said there should be fewer holidays because they are hurting the economy. Some Chronicle readers disagreed and said the U.S. should have more.