The business magnate, Elon Musk, and former President Donald Trump’s ally, caused a stir among federal workers this past weekend. Musk has issued an ultimatum, requiring federal employees to respond to an e-mail dispatched from the Office of Personnel Management. This email required them to list out, in approximately five bullets, their accomplishments from the previous week, and carbon copy their managers on the email by Monday at precisely 11:59 p.m. Interestingly, the warning from the OPM did not infer any employment repercussions for not responding, but Musk stated, ‘Not replying will be seen as resigning.’
The OPM, in a formal statement, explained that these emails are a part of the Trump administration’s commitment towards an efficient and accountable federal workforce. It further added, ‘Agencies will decide any further steps.’ The move has triggered a reaction among the federal workforce, with some apprehensive about the implications of not responding.
Everett Kelley, the head of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the leading union representing federal workers, stated that they would contest any ‘illicit terminations.’ Further, Kelley criticized that ‘Elon Musk and the Trump Administration have once again displayed their total contempt for federal employees and the important services they deliver to US citizens.’ AFGE, with over 800,000 federal employees, is one of the significant entities representing the workforce.
‘Expecting hundreds of thousands of veterans in civil service, wearing their second uniform, to justify their roles to this disconnected, non-elected billionaire, who has not contributed even a single hour to public service, is harsh and disrespectful,’ Kelley expressed further. The move is apparently the latest attempt by Trump’s administration and the Department of Government Efficiency to revamp federal employment and shake up traditional government expenditure practices.
The precise count of employees who have lost their jobs due to this latest move is uncertain. However, speculation suggests it could be in tens of thousands, potentially marking one of the largest job culls in the history of US. The email from OPM has been received with confusion and anxiety by federal employees nationwide.
One Department of Education employee described the situation as ‘horrifying,’ furthermore likening it to harassment, ‘especially dispatching the email on a Saturday, causing individuals to anxiously await the email’s arrival all weekend.’ In addition to this, other employees voiced concerns regarding who would be evaluating the emails and pondered the financial implications of this process.
Federal employment law specialist, Michael Fallings, refutes Musk’s power to act on his threat. He reassures that any federal employees adversely affected by this rule have every right to contest the action. Reacting to the situation, Musk characterized his recent request as ‘an elementary pulse check.’
Confirming the incident, Senator Tina Smith from Minnesota posted a screengrab of Musk’s message on Saturday evening. ‘This is the pinnacle of an employer’s move from Musk – except he’s not even the boss; he’s merely an.’ She also alluded to the fact that many have had similar experiences with ill-natured superiors, receiving an email on a weekend, asking them to ‘justify your worthiness by Monday, or face consequences.’
Musk challenged the Senator, asking, ‘What did you achieve last week?’ to which Smith responded, ‘I regret to inform you but you do not employ me, I am accountable to the people of Minnesota. However, since you asked, last week I worked towards stopping tax breaks for billionaires such as yourself.’
Meanwhile, certain agency heads, including newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel, suggested their staff refrain from responding to the OPM email until they receive further instructions. Patel addressed his workforce, ‘FBI personnel might have received an email requesting information from OPM. But the Office of Director manages all of our review processes of the FBI and will conduct reviews aligning with FBI procedures. We shall coordinate responses whenever further information is demanded. Until that time, please halt any replies.’
Tibor Nagy, the acting undersecretary for management at the State Department, shared a corresponding message with his workforce. He emphasized that the leaders should respond on behalf of the organization and no employee should feel compelled to detail their activities outside their department’s chain of command.
If Musk were to reply to the OPM email outlining his previous week’s activities, possible topics could include popping up on stage with a chainsaw at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or incorrectly claiming DOGE had saved the US $8 billion by trimming an immigration-related contract. A review by The New York Times later clarified the savings to be around $5.5 million, not $8 billion as Musk claimed.