Federal Employees Scramble for Clarity as OPM Issues Controversial Email//

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//Federal Employees Scramble for Clarity as OPM Issues Controversial Email//

Elon Musk speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Feb. 20, 2025.

Thousands of federal employees are in a state of uncertainty following an unexpected email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) instructing them to report their weekly accomplishments—or risk being considered as having resigned. The directive, reportedly sent to numerous agencies, has left employees awaiting further guidance from their respective departments as confusion and concern spread across the federal workforce.

Confusion Among Federal Agencies

The email, with the subject line "What did you do last week," instructed federal workers to submit a brief list of approximately five accomplishments from the past week, with a strict deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The message has sparked immediate concern, particularly in light of recent statements from Elon Musk, the head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, who suggested that failure to respond would be interpreted as a voluntary resignation.

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), employees are still waiting for leadership to provide guidance on how to proceed. "Our teams haven’t received clear instructions yet," one employee told ABC News. "Some of us were advised by our managers to hold off responding until Monday in hopes of getting more details."

A similar situation is unfolding at the Department of Energy, where employees were informed via email that agency leadership is still awaiting further clarification before offering definitive guidance.

The Fallout from Musk’s Directive

The controversial email follows a previous message sent to nearly all federal employees last month, titled "Fork in the Road," which presented an unusual option: workers could opt for "deferred resignation," allowing them to leave their jobs while continuing to receive a paycheck until September. Reports indicate that approximately 75,000 federal employees took the buyout offer, signaling a significant shake-up in the federal workforce.

Musk, who has been vocal about his push to streamline government operations, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that any failure to respond to the OPM email would be treated as a resignation. His stance has fueled fears that the directive is a veiled attempt at mass workforce reduction without directly issuing layoffs.

Uncertain Future for Federal Employees

The Biden administration has yet to respond directly to the growing concerns, but multiple agencies have indicated they are seeking guidance from the Department of the Treasury on how to handle the situation. Meanwhile, employee unions and advocacy groups have begun raising alarms about the legality and ethics of the move.

"This is unprecedented," said a representative from a federal employees’ union. "You cannot simply force resignations through an arbitrary email. There are established protocols for evaluating performance and terminating employment. This approach disregards due process and leaves thousands of hardworking public servants in limbo."

Potential Legal Challenges and Next Steps

Legal experts predict potential challenges to the policy, arguing that it could be contested as coercion or constructive dismissal. "If an employee does not respond, and OPM moves to terminate them, there is a strong case to be made that the action was not voluntary," one labor attorney explained. "That could lead to legal battles over wrongful termination."

For now, federal employees are left with few options but to comply with the directive or risk their jobs. Many hope that additional guidance from the Treasury Department on Monday will provide much-needed clarity. Until then, uncertainty looms over thousands of workers who are unsure whether their careers in public service are secure.

As this situation unfolds, all eyes will be on agency leadership and the Biden administration’s response. The coming days could determine whether this directive is merely an efficiency measure or the beginning of a deeper, more controversial overhaul of the federal workforce.