Federal employees shaken by Trump's "buyout" proposal
The article explores a pervasive sense of mistrust among employees, particularly those who fear their positions may be at risk. One employee expressed, “There’s also a deep suspicion, especially among people who think they may be on the chopping block, that this is the last lifeboat in town.”
TroibNews 
A federal workforce consisting of around 2 million employees is grappling with the aftermath of a mass email that presented an opportunity for them to resign voluntarily in anticipation of further and undefined efforts by the Trump administration to downsize the government.
With the conditions of the ultimatum being unclear and likely open to legal interpretation and challenges, many employees are left uncertain about their job security and the future of their agencies.
“Chaos, mistrust, confusion,” one employee from the Department of Justice remarked, requesting anonymity to discuss the situation openly without fear of repercussions. “There’s also a deep suspicion, especially among people who think they may be on the chopping block, that this is the last lifeboat in town.”
Trump, who has previously criticized what he called the “deep state,” has consistently aimed to diminish the government’s reach. His frustration with perceived excessive work-from-home arrangements has led him to enlist Tesla CEO Elon Musk to assist in streamlining federal operations. However, the ambiguous nature of the order has nearly stalled the vast governmental machinery, potentially leading to a crisis that could have political repercussions.
“The blanket approach, which is pure Elon Musk, is going to have unintended consequences down the road,” explained Elaine Kamarck, a fellow in government studies at the Brookings Institution who managed President Bill Clinton’s government reform initiative in the 1990s. “What if a third of the nation’s air traffic controllers take this buyout? Or all the CDC scientists leave for the private sector and then there’s a tuberculosis epidemic? That’s the risk with the way they’ve done it, sort of using a blowtorch for a very small issue.”
The email dispatched Tuesday evening by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) permitted recipients to resign while continuing to receive pay through September, but it did not guarantee future employment for those who chose to stay. Although unsigned by the agency’s human resources department, many federal employees discussing the matter in calls and group texts sensed Musk’s influence, noting similarities with his approach after taking control of Twitter.
The subject line was identical to one Musk used in 2022 for Twitter employees, giving them an ultimatum to either adopt a more “hardcore” work style or leave the company: “Fork in the road.”
This communication illustrated Musk’s intent to significantly alter the federal bureaucracy and hinted that his influence might extend beyond the newly established “Department of Government Efficiency.” As with his Twitter strategy, Musk is employing a rapid, disruptive approach during Trump's early administration and has compounded the turmoil already present in the federal workforce, which is still adjusting to legally contentious executive orders that sought to halt both domestic and foreign aid.
“It’s unfathomable, the panic that it is causing throughout the government,” declared another DOJ employee. “And it is intentional. The new head of OMB [Russ Vought, who has not yet been confirmed by the Senate] said he wanted to traumatize the federal civil servants into leaving and it’s working.”
Tim Whitehouse, executive director at the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit offering legal assistance to federal workers, disclosed that he has received numerous calls regarding the resignation offer since it became public.
“The employees we are speaking to view this email as another tool to inflict pain and trauma on the federal government workforce,” Whitehouse stated via email. “They understand this is not really a buyout, that it may be illegal, and that it does not guarantee that they will be able to stop work before September 30th. Because of the number of agencies and employees targeted, it shows the administration’s blow it all up approach to reducing the size of the federal workforce.”
By Wednesday, unions representing federal workers had mobilized, urging members not to accept the deal, denouncing it as a dubious attempt to frighten employees into resigning. Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees, noted that most members “don’t trust this administration to hold up their end of the bargain, and others don’t see how this is legal.”
The American Federation of Government Employees provided members with a detailed FAQ about the OPM resignation initiative, cautioning that it “should not [be taken] … at face value.”
When the email was distributed, the large recipient list caused it to arrive in batches. As the text messages began to circulate, some employees were initially puzzled by their colleagues' panic until they received the OPM email themselves.
Within the DOJ, the assistant attorney general for administration sent an all-staff email affirming the authenticity of the OPM ultimatum. However, managers faced a barrage of inquiries but had few answers to offer.
This confusion left employees scrambling to interpret media reports claiming the entire federal workforce had been presented with “buyouts,” while trying to decipher the email’s wording that suggested remains commit to being part of “an improved federal workforce,” despite the possibility of termination.
“We cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency,” read the email, offering only that those let go would be “treated with dignity.”
The alternative was a “deferred resignation program” available for one week—employees could opt-in simply by replying to the email with “Resign.” This would allow them to “retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload” and be “exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until Sept. 30.”
“It really felt like we were being asked to resign, and, if we decided not to resign, like we were being asked to swear allegiance to a new form of government,” another DOJ employee recounted. “It seems very clear that if we do not take that and resign, that our jobs are in serious jeopardy.”
A single parent, this employee faced the difficult decision of potentially abandoning a meaningful career to provide for their family.
“I am not a risk taker,” they admitted. “And every single option right now is a risk.”
Another DOJ employee noted that initial enthusiasm about the severance offer quickly shifted to suspicion, leading to the realization that the situation may not be as advantageous as it appeared.
“Everyone else is like, ‘I don’t trust them,’” the third employee observed. The email's wording, they said, “doesn’t seem real, there’s no guidance. It seems like it will be challenged. So it comes down to: Are you really willing to go to the casino and put your career on black?”
The language in the OPM email about providing a “dignified” option, the third employee continued, “makes it seem like a warning that there will be an undignified action coming for those who don’t take it.” The timing of the email, amid agency struggles with the impact of OMB’s rescinded freeze on federal aid, amplified anxiety regarding the new administration's apparent aims to execute the Project 2025 plan to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
“It feels like there is enough chaos and there is an implied malice behind the chaos, and that makes it very difficult to plan your next step,” the third DOJ employee lamented.
All three DOJ employees shared concerns that their agency—and consequently their positions—might be even more at risk than others in the executive branch due to Trump’s dissatisfaction with the DOJ’s investigations into him.
Such anxiety is not confined to the DOJ.
“It was the batshit-craziest email I’ve ever read,” an employee from the EPA remarked. “These people have a history of shorting workers,” they added. “There’s no way I’m sending ‘Resign’ to this jinky email address.”
A USAID employee summarized the impact as a forced return to the office and “a lot more fear and uncertainty,” observing an increased interest in federal employee unions.
“It’s not really a buyout, but it’s clearly part of this shock-and-awe approach to cajole and scare federal workers into thinking of quitting,” commented a State Department official.
At FEMA, one employee expressed that they and their colleagues were determined to stay put to continue essential emergency response work. “Most people saw [the OPM email] as a scam,” they said. “Everybody’s very frustrated, very stressed — it’s hard not to be alarmist when you don’t know if your pension and retirement are at risk. But we’re just trying to take it day by day.”
A Labor Department employee echoed similar feelings of frustration and skepticism regarding the severance package, questioning whether it would surpass the $25,000 annual severance pay limit mandated by OPM regulations.
“I find it hard to believe they would pay me my full salary for 8 months to sit on my ass,” the Labor Department employee remarked. “The whole thing is pretty insulting. But also, no choice we have is good! Some [people] are like ‘is it better to have some control over my fate with a set end date?’ And others are like ‘I will die before I give them the satisfaction.’”
This employee asserted that, for now, they are not planning on opting into the resignation program. “I’d rather be fired for resisting and making their lives hell,” they stated.
Numerous federal employees shared similar sentiments anonymously on platforms like Reddit.
“[B]efore that email went out, I was looking for any way to get out of this fresh hell,” one employee posted on Reddit. “But now I am fired up to make these goons as frustrated as possible, [return to office] be damned.”
Another user replied: “I was chill and laid back prior. Now I’m digging my heels in out of spite.”
This report was contributed to by Marcia Brown, Ben Lefebvre, Nick Niedzwiadek, Robbie Gramer, Kevin Bogardus, and Robin Bravender.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
With the conditions of the ultimatum being unclear and likely open to legal interpretation and challenges, many employees are left uncertain about their job security and the future of their agencies.
“Chaos, mistrust, confusion,” one employee from the Department of Justice remarked, requesting anonymity to discuss the situation openly without fear of repercussions. “There’s also a deep suspicion, especially among people who think they may be on the chopping block, that this is the last lifeboat in town.”
Trump, who has previously criticized what he called the “deep state,” has consistently aimed to diminish the government’s reach. His frustration with perceived excessive work-from-home arrangements has led him to enlist Tesla CEO Elon Musk to assist in streamlining federal operations. However, the ambiguous nature of the order has nearly stalled the vast governmental machinery, potentially leading to a crisis that could have political repercussions.
“The blanket approach, which is pure Elon Musk, is going to have unintended consequences down the road,” explained Elaine Kamarck, a fellow in government studies at the Brookings Institution who managed President Bill Clinton’s government reform initiative in the 1990s. “What if a third of the nation’s air traffic controllers take this buyout? Or all the CDC scientists leave for the private sector and then there’s a tuberculosis epidemic? That’s the risk with the way they’ve done it, sort of using a blowtorch for a very small issue.”
The email dispatched Tuesday evening by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) permitted recipients to resign while continuing to receive pay through September, but it did not guarantee future employment for those who chose to stay. Although unsigned by the agency’s human resources department, many federal employees discussing the matter in calls and group texts sensed Musk’s influence, noting similarities with his approach after taking control of Twitter.
The subject line was identical to one Musk used in 2022 for Twitter employees, giving them an ultimatum to either adopt a more “hardcore” work style or leave the company: “Fork in the road.”
This communication illustrated Musk’s intent to significantly alter the federal bureaucracy and hinted that his influence might extend beyond the newly established “Department of Government Efficiency.” As with his Twitter strategy, Musk is employing a rapid, disruptive approach during Trump's early administration and has compounded the turmoil already present in the federal workforce, which is still adjusting to legally contentious executive orders that sought to halt both domestic and foreign aid.
“It’s unfathomable, the panic that it is causing throughout the government,” declared another DOJ employee. “And it is intentional. The new head of OMB [Russ Vought, who has not yet been confirmed by the Senate] said he wanted to traumatize the federal civil servants into leaving and it’s working.”
Tim Whitehouse, executive director at the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit offering legal assistance to federal workers, disclosed that he has received numerous calls regarding the resignation offer since it became public.
“The employees we are speaking to view this email as another tool to inflict pain and trauma on the federal government workforce,” Whitehouse stated via email. “They understand this is not really a buyout, that it may be illegal, and that it does not guarantee that they will be able to stop work before September 30th. Because of the number of agencies and employees targeted, it shows the administration’s blow it all up approach to reducing the size of the federal workforce.”
By Wednesday, unions representing federal workers had mobilized, urging members not to accept the deal, denouncing it as a dubious attempt to frighten employees into resigning. Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees, noted that most members “don’t trust this administration to hold up their end of the bargain, and others don’t see how this is legal.”
The American Federation of Government Employees provided members with a detailed FAQ about the OPM resignation initiative, cautioning that it “should not [be taken] … at face value.”
When the email was distributed, the large recipient list caused it to arrive in batches. As the text messages began to circulate, some employees were initially puzzled by their colleagues' panic until they received the OPM email themselves.
Within the DOJ, the assistant attorney general for administration sent an all-staff email affirming the authenticity of the OPM ultimatum. However, managers faced a barrage of inquiries but had few answers to offer.
This confusion left employees scrambling to interpret media reports claiming the entire federal workforce had been presented with “buyouts,” while trying to decipher the email’s wording that suggested remains commit to being part of “an improved federal workforce,” despite the possibility of termination.
“We cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency,” read the email, offering only that those let go would be “treated with dignity.”
The alternative was a “deferred resignation program” available for one week—employees could opt-in simply by replying to the email with “Resign.” This would allow them to “retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload” and be “exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until Sept. 30.”
“It really felt like we were being asked to resign, and, if we decided not to resign, like we were being asked to swear allegiance to a new form of government,” another DOJ employee recounted. “It seems very clear that if we do not take that and resign, that our jobs are in serious jeopardy.”
A single parent, this employee faced the difficult decision of potentially abandoning a meaningful career to provide for their family.
“I am not a risk taker,” they admitted. “And every single option right now is a risk.”
Another DOJ employee noted that initial enthusiasm about the severance offer quickly shifted to suspicion, leading to the realization that the situation may not be as advantageous as it appeared.
“Everyone else is like, ‘I don’t trust them,’” the third employee observed. The email's wording, they said, “doesn’t seem real, there’s no guidance. It seems like it will be challenged. So it comes down to: Are you really willing to go to the casino and put your career on black?”
The language in the OPM email about providing a “dignified” option, the third employee continued, “makes it seem like a warning that there will be an undignified action coming for those who don’t take it.” The timing of the email, amid agency struggles with the impact of OMB’s rescinded freeze on federal aid, amplified anxiety regarding the new administration's apparent aims to execute the Project 2025 plan to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
“It feels like there is enough chaos and there is an implied malice behind the chaos, and that makes it very difficult to plan your next step,” the third DOJ employee lamented.
All three DOJ employees shared concerns that their agency—and consequently their positions—might be even more at risk than others in the executive branch due to Trump’s dissatisfaction with the DOJ’s investigations into him.
Such anxiety is not confined to the DOJ.
“It was the batshit-craziest email I’ve ever read,” an employee from the EPA remarked. “These people have a history of shorting workers,” they added. “There’s no way I’m sending ‘Resign’ to this jinky email address.”
A USAID employee summarized the impact as a forced return to the office and “a lot more fear and uncertainty,” observing an increased interest in federal employee unions.
“It’s not really a buyout, but it’s clearly part of this shock-and-awe approach to cajole and scare federal workers into thinking of quitting,” commented a State Department official.
At FEMA, one employee expressed that they and their colleagues were determined to stay put to continue essential emergency response work. “Most people saw [the OPM email] as a scam,” they said. “Everybody’s very frustrated, very stressed — it’s hard not to be alarmist when you don’t know if your pension and retirement are at risk. But we’re just trying to take it day by day.”
A Labor Department employee echoed similar feelings of frustration and skepticism regarding the severance package, questioning whether it would surpass the $25,000 annual severance pay limit mandated by OPM regulations.
“I find it hard to believe they would pay me my full salary for 8 months to sit on my ass,” the Labor Department employee remarked. “The whole thing is pretty insulting. But also, no choice we have is good! Some [people] are like ‘is it better to have some control over my fate with a set end date?’ And others are like ‘I will die before I give them the satisfaction.’”
This employee asserted that, for now, they are not planning on opting into the resignation program. “I’d rather be fired for resisting and making their lives hell,” they stated.
Numerous federal employees shared similar sentiments anonymously on platforms like Reddit.
“[B]efore that email went out, I was looking for any way to get out of this fresh hell,” one employee posted on Reddit. “But now I am fired up to make these goons as frustrated as possible, [return to office] be damned.”
Another user replied: “I was chill and laid back prior. Now I’m digging my heels in out of spite.”
This report was contributed to by Marcia Brown, Ben Lefebvre, Nick Niedzwiadek, Robbie Gramer, Kevin Bogardus, and Robin Bravender.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
