MORE than 20,000 federal employees have accepted an offer to quit their jobs – and President Donald Trump expects the number to rise.
The federal workforce has until Thursday to accept the buyout scheme from Trump and Elon Musk.
Trump’s administration expects even more people to resign as just 1% of the federal workforce has jumped on the deal ahead of the deadline.
After signing the offer, employees have until the end of February to leave their jobs.
The scheme has taxpayers continuing to pay the former employees’ salaries through the end of September.
The president reportedly expects 10% of the workforce will quit, according to Bloomberg.
Over 2.3 million people are civilian federal employees, meaning Trump hopes 200,000 people will take the deal.
The buyout package is for federal workers who don’t want to return to office.
The White House proposed the plan to millions of employees in an email from the US Office of Personnel Management last week.
Under the “deferred resignation program,” workers were informed that by agreeing to it, they would be put on paid administrative leave with full compensation and benefits until September 30.
However, concerns are swirling about the legitimacy of the program as officials have questioned if the deal is even legal.
Legal experts specializing in employment and federal unions have cautioned employees about accepting the offer due to concerns that the Office of Personnel Management lacks the power to guarantee paid leave continuation.
The OPM confirmed that no federal employees’ pay will be guaranteed in the program.
The government website says, “OPM does not regulate the use of administrative leave. This authority rests with each agency head.”
Furthermore, the program has faced criticism from Republican legislators who have condemned it as unlawful under the Anti-Deficiency Act. This act prohibits the government from exceeding the budgetary limits set by Congress, as reported by CBS News.
Congress has funded the government through mid-March, meaning the plan automatically overspends and violates the law.
This is about fairness. It’s not fair that most people have to come to work while federal employees get to stay home.
Elon Musk
“Anybody else would be walked out of an agency for going $1 beyond appropriated dollars,” a GOP leader told CBS News.
“Back of the napkin math of offering to pay all federal employees for 6.5 months beyond current appropriations is about $50 billion — not everyone will take the offer, but it was offered to all of them, thus it incurs an obligation.”
WARNING TO WFH WARRIORS
OPM’s message also had a stark warning for anyone who refused the offer.
“We cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency, but should your position be eliminated, you will be treated with dignity,” the email said.
Workers who chose to opt in to the buyout were told to reply to last week’s email with the single word “resign.”
They are free to take other jobs as long as they don’t conflict with their federal employment until the fall.
Employees also have to agree not to sue the government over the plan.
Postal workers, military personnel, immigration officials, and some national security employees were exempt from the offer.
DOGE EFFORTS
The deal is pioneered by Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Tesla CEO Musk.
DOGE has been tasked with slashing federal spending and cutting government jobs as Trump vowed to reduce the bloated federal workforce.
The buyout is the biggest government downsizing effort in modern history.
“This is about fairness,” Musk posted on X.
“It’s not fair that most people have to come to work while federal employees get to stay home.”
Trump’s executive order demands workers return to the office five days a week.
