What’s happening
In an effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce, the Trump administration last week offered buyouts to all federal employees who resign by Feb. 6.
Federal workers have until this Thursday to accept the Trump administration's offer to quit their jobs. In exchange, the White House said employees would get paid with benefits through the end of September — without having to work. This offer has been met with criticism from union leaders and politicians who say there's no real guarantee people would get paid because Congress hasn't allocated the funds.
More than 20,000 employees — about 1% of the federal workforce — have already signed up for the offer, according to Bloomberg and Axios. The White House's goal is to have 5% to 10% of the federal workforce resign, and the administration expects up to $100 billion in savings if that target is met.
Here’s what the offer entails.
The short version
If federal employees accept the buyout, they would only have to work until Feb. 28, would be exempt from the new return-to-office work requirements and would be put on paid administrative leave no later than March 1, according to the contract sent out by the Office of Personnel Management. They will retain full salary and benefits without having to work through Sept. 30, 2025.
A bit more detail
The Office of Personnel Management described the program for eligible federal employees as “paid administrative leave” with benefits until Sept. 30, 2025. Those who opt in to the deferred resignation program are not expected to work after Feb. 28 and are encouraged by OPM to “find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so.”
They will also receive a lump sum payment of any unused annual leave time on their resignation date, according to OPM’s contract.
The program is available to all full-time federal employees, except for military personnel, U.S. Postal Service employees and positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, as well as others specifically excluded from a specific federal agency.
Deep dive
Federal workers who were given the option to resign and get paid through the end of September will get their full salary, their benefits and a lump sum payout of unused accrued leave.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who leads President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, has been tasked with reducing the federal workforce. The Office of Personnel Management, which is basically the federal government's human resources department, sent an email on Jan. 28 to try to do just that.
Employees received an email titled “Fork in the Road,” which explained that there would be a “significant” restructuring of the federal workforce, and presented a deferred resignation offer.
Federal workers who don’t accept the offer and want to remain in their current position can do so. However, OPM sent an ominous message, saying they won’t be given “full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency.”
Those critical of the offer, including union leaders and politicians, claim that it's illegal and say there's no real guarantee people would get paid because Congress would need to authorize it.
The largest federal workforce union, the American Federation of Government Employees, warned its members not to take the offer in a fact sheet released on Wednesday. "Employees should not take the [deferred resignation program] at face value," it said, adding that the OPM email and its FAQ website "are riddled with inconsistencies and uncertainties."
Twelve attorneys general also warned against the deal, including those from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington. "These supposed offers are not guaranteed," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "Federal employees should be cautious and follow the guidance of their unions to protect their rights."
In an effort to provide more reassurance amid the public criticism of the offer, OPM sent out a contract on Feb. 3 that federal agencies can give to their employees. The contract says those who opt in to the deferred resignation program are expected to work until Feb. 28 and will be placed on paid administrative leave “no later than March 1.” They will also be paid a lump sum at the end of their deferred resignation period for any unused accrued leave time.
