President Trump has offered federal employees a lucrative buyout if they agree to leave their jobs by 6 February. Equating to more than eight months’ worth of salary, the package forms part of the new administration’s attempt to slash federal spend.
On Tuesday evening, the office of personnel management circulated a memo in which it was made clear to federal employees that if they didn’t accept the buyout, they would face the threat of dismissal in future. The memo also outlined four upcoming mandates, including a full-time return-to-office (RTO) mandate.
During the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his desire to revolutionize the way the federal government was run. Along with DOGE chair Elon Musk, he has wasted no time in putting those plans into action since taking office. On Friday, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) senior official Gwynne Wilcox was fired in “unprecedented and illegal” fashion, alongside a series of government watchdogs.
Trump Offers To Buy Out Federal Workers
President Trump has issued government workers with an ultimatum – accept a substantial buyout package or face the threat of dismissal down the line, in a move set to cut huge swathes through the federal workforce.
On Tuesday evening, civil servants were sent a memo from the Trump Administration. In it, they were offered “deferred resignation,” meaning they agree to resign immediately but are paid until September. If they do not accept, their jobs will be at risk and they will face four new directives, including a full-time return to the office.
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All federal employees are eligible, apart from members of the military, Postal Service employees, and immigration enforcement and national security roles. The deadline for the offer is 6 February.
Government Hopes to Save $100 Billion
On the deferred resignation offer, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement: “American taxpayers pay for the salaries of the federal government employees, and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers.”
The email that employees received on Tuesday contains a draft resignation letter. To signal their acceptance, workers are required to reply with the word “resign.” This will automatically trigger the process. In a move that mirrors the email Musk sent to X employees in 2022, workers who decline the offer are thanked for their “renewed focus on serving the American people” but offered no assurances about their job security.
The Trump Administration expects 5-10% of employees to accept the terms, which could save as much as $100 billion, a senior official relayed to NBC News.
Trump Hell-Bent on Remodeling Government
Since returning to the White House, Trump has begun to bring his long-gestating government remodel to fruition. The new administration hopes to create a leaner, more efficient decision-making body and save billions in the process – but his actions have already drawn criticism.
President of the civil servants’ labor union, Everett Kelley, said: “Purging the federal government of dedicated career civil servants will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government.”
On Friday, Trump laid off dozens of independent government watchdogs, as well as a senior official at NLRB, Gwynne Wilcox, who attacked the dismissal as “unprecedented and illegal.” With so much activity in such a short space of time, it is scarcely imaginable what the next few weeks and months will bring. But don’t expect the President’s plans to slow down anytime soon.
