On January 23, 2017 President Trump issued a memorandum instituting a hiring freeze for federal employees. On January 25, 2017 the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum advising of immediate actions and initial guidance for the federal hiring freeze.
Of particular note from the OMB’s memorandum:
An individual who has received a job offer/appointment prior to January 22, 2017, and who has received documentation from the agency that specifies a confirmed start date on or before February 22, 2017, should report to work on that start date.
If an individual has received a job offer/appointment prior to January 22, 2017, and has received documentation from the agency that specifies a confirmed start date after February 22, 2017, (or does not have a confirmed start date) the Agency head should review the position to determine whether the job offer/appointment should be revoked, or whether the individual should report for duty on an agreed upon start date.