Janice R. Andrews
More than 40,000 federal workers have accepted a ‘buyout’ offer from the Trump administration ahead of a midnight deadline, according to an official report. The deal, presented by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), allows employees to resign from their positions while remaining on the payroll with full benefits until September 30. However, this figure represents only about 2% of the two million federal workers who were eligible for the offer.
The buyout initiative is part of a broader effort by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team to reduce the federal workforce and cut $2 trillion in government spending. Despite the administration’s push, the response has been tepid, with many workers hesitant to accept the deal.
Federal employees who took the buyout are exempt from returning to in-person work five days a week, a requirement recently reinstated for most government workers. Those who declined the offer were warned by OPM that their positions or agencies could still face elimination, leaving many in a state of uncertainty.
The offer, first emailed to workers on January 28, required employees to simply reply with the word ‘Resign’ in the subject line to accept. However, concerns over the legality and validity of the deal have been raised by federal worker unions and Democratic lawmakers. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing hundreds of thousands of workers, filed a lawsuit to halt the February 6 deadline, arguing the plan aims to replace career public servants with partisan loyalists.
AFGE President Everett Kelley condemned the offer, calling it “unfunded, unlawful, and without guarantees.” He urged federal workers not to be misled by what he described as a “deferred resignation scheme.”
As the deadline looms, thousands of federal employees have vowed to remain in their positions, using the offer as a rallying cry to “hold the line.” Many fear the buyout is a precursor to future job cuts without compensation.
The administration has intensified pressure on workers to accept the deal, sending follow-up emails and reminders. However, the resistance from federal employees highlights the challenges facing Musk’s efficiency team in achieving its ambitious cost-cutting goals.
With the deadline now passed, the administration is expected to provide an updated figure on buyout acceptances by Friday. The outcome could signal a significant shift in the federal workforce and set the stage for further battles over government efficiency and employee rights.
