Trump Offers Buyouts to Federal Employees Resisting In-Person Work

Karoline Leavittwhite House press secretary

American taxpayers pay for the salaries of 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,

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement

Tim Kainesenator

There’s no budget line item to pay people who are not showing up for work,

Kaine said

Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government,

Kelley said in a statement

If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program,

the email reads

The federal workforce should comprise the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level,

the email said

Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration's goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to,

American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley said in a statement

This is about fairness: it's not fair that most people have to come to work to build products or provide services while Federal Government employees get to stay home,

Musk posted on his X site

If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30.”

It adds

If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce,

reads the email that will be sent to federal workers

The government-wide email being sent today is to make sure that all federal workers are on board with the new administration's plan to have federal employees in office and adhering to higher standards. We're five years past COVID and just 6 percent of federal employees work full-time in office. That is unacceptable,

What they're saying ... a senior administration official tells Axios

Agencies are encouraged to submit recommendations on a rolling basis before this date,

Charles Ezell, the acting director of OPM, said in a memo

Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward,

the memo reads

You have to go to your office and work. Otherwise you’re not going to have a job."

That echoes Trump, who said of federal employees over the weekend

The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week,

it reads