The Trump administration has offered federal workers a deferred resignation package, allowing them to leave their jobs while continuing to receive full pay through September. However, the deadline is fast approaching, and those who don't accept face the risk of layoffs. Federal unions are urging their members to reject the offer, citing concerns about its legality and the administration's ability to follow through on its promises.
Eligible federal workers face a critical deadline this Thursday as they must decide by 11:59 pm ET whether to accept the Trump administration's deferred resignation offer. This offer allows employees to leave their jobs but continue receiving full pay through the end of September. At least 40,000 employees have already chosen this path, according to an administration official.
The administration views this as a significant step in shrinking the federal workforce, a move that presents employees with a difficult choice regarding their careers and future prospects. While the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) spokesperson describes the offer as a “rare, generous opportunity,” it also carries a warning: those who decline risk losing their jobs. The administration is planning widespread layoffs in the near future, two officials have told CNN.Federal unions, however, strongly advise against accepting the package, raising concerns about its legality and the administration's ability to fulfill its promises. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and several other unions filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Massachusetts on Tuesday, seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the February 6 deadline. They aim to compel the government to establish a lawful policy instead of an arbitrary, potentially unenforceable ultimatum. A hearing on this case is scheduled for 1 pm Thursday.The 40,000 figure represents approximately 2% of the roughly 2 million federal employees who received the incentive. The White House aims for between 5% and 10% of employees to resign. An OPM spokesperson anticipates a surge in workers accepting the package within the final 24 to 48 hours before the deadline. Employees have communicated their acceptance via email responses to OPM outlining the initiative and direct conversations with their agency managers. Certain federal workers, including military personnel, immigration enforcement officers, specific national security staff, and National Transportation Safety Board employees, are ineligible. However, Central Intelligence Agency staffers are eligible. Furthermore, OPM is sweetening the deal for older federal workers by offering a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) incentive to those who meet the eligibility criteria and opt into the deferred resignation program. Employees must be at least 50 years old with 20 years of service or any age with 25 years of service. The deferred resignation offer was sent to federal employees on January 28th via the administration's new mass email system.The subject line, “Fork in the Road,” bore striking similarities to an email sent by X (formerly Twitter) to its employees days after Elon Musk took over. Musk now heads Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with reducing the federal workforce. The email caused confusion, concern, and anxiety among many recipients. An FAQ posted on OPM's website, along with a subsequent email to workers, attempted to clarify that employees accepting the offer would not be required to continue working (with rare exceptions), they would receive full pay despite the federal government's funding only extending to mid-March, and the incentive is both valid and legal. This package is one of several initiatives by the Trump administration to reshape the federal workforce, including reducing its size, replacing career workers with political appointees, curtailing civil service protections, ending diversity efforts, and more. Federal employee unions vehemently criticize the Trump administration, accusing it of attempting to dismantle the civil service and replace career workers with political loyalists. They argue that reducing the federal workforce will ultimately harm Americans. “Make no mistake about it: if the assault that the Trump administration initiated last month continues unchallenged, every member of Congress will soon hear from angry or confused constituents about why their VA claims have not been processed or why their Social Security retirement benefits have not been delivered,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley stated in a submission to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Wednesday entitled, “Rightsizing Government.”OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinover refutes the unions' negative portrayal of the offer, claiming union leaders are misinforming federal workers. “Union leaders and politicians telling federal workers to reject this offer are doing them a serious disservice. This is a rare, generous opportunity—one that was thoroughly vetted and intentionally designed to support employees through restructuring,” Pinover stated in a Tuesday release.
FEDERAL WORKERS DEFERRAL RESIGNATION TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LAYOFFS UNIONS CIVIL SERVICE
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