Federal workers buyout plan ends at midnight

WASHINGTON – At least 40 thousand federal workers are opting into the Deferred Resignation Program, according to a Trump Administration official. That’s below the white house goal of a five to ten percent reduction in the federal workforce.

The deadline for federal workers to receive financial incentives to quit is approaching. More than 2 million employees have until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. EST to decide what to do.

On Wednesday, the administration ramped up its pressure on employees to leave, sending a reminder that layoffs or furloughs could come next.

“The majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force,” said the message from the Office of Personnel Management, which has been a nexus of Musk’s efforts to downsize the government.

The email said anyone who remains will be expected to be “loyal” and “will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward.” Some employees could be reclassified to limit civil service protections as well.

“Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination,” the email said.

Democrats and unions warn that workers could be stiffed
Democrats said workers shouldn’t accept the deferred resignation program because it wasn’t authorized by Congress, raising the risk they won’t get paid. Unions have sued to stop Trump’s plans, and a judge will consider whether to block the financial offer at a hearing Thursday afternoon in Boston.

“It’s a scam and not a buyout,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Kelley said he tells workers that “if it was me, I wouldn’t do it.”

An employee at the Department of Education, who also spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, said the administration appeared desperate to get people to sign the agreement. However, she said there were too many red flags, such as a clause waiving the right to sue if the government failed to honor its side of the deal.

The deal is ‘exactly what it looks like,’ says Trump official
Trump put Musk, the world’s richest man, in charge of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which is a sweeping initiative to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. The original email offering the deferred resignation program was titled “Fork in the road,” echoing a similar message that Musk sent Twitter employees two years ago after he bought the social media platform.

Trump administration officials have organized question-and-answer sessions with employees as the deadline approaches.

Rachel Oglesby, the chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education who previously worked at the America First Policy Institute, said Trump is trying to reduce the federal workforce.

“I know there’s been a lot of questions out there about whether it’s real and whether it’s a trick,” she said, according to a recording obtained by The Associated Press. “And it’s exactly what it looks like. It’s one of the many tools that he’s using to try to achieve the campaign promise to bring reform to the civil service and changes to D.C.”

The issue was also discussed during a meeting with Department of Agriculture employees, according to another recording obtained by the AP. Marlon Taubenheim, a human resources official, acknowledged that “these are very trying times” and “there’s a lot of stress.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers,” he said.

Jacqueline Ponti-Lazaruk, another agency leader, said employees “probably didn’t have the runway of time that you might have liked to make a life-changing decision.”

For those who remain, she said, “we’ll just keep plugging along.”

Assurances from administration officials have not alleviated concerns across a range of agencies. Some federal workers said they did not trust the validity of the offers, doubting that Trump has the authority to disburse money. Others point to his record of stiffing contractors as a New York real estate mogul.