Isn’t it interesting the least of us, that have never held a regular job in their entire lives and have no actual concept of what these people do on a daily basis are going to barge in and demand excellence.
Excellence is a measure of more than simply net worth, obviously.
It mirrors the 2022 language Musk used when he asked Twitter employees newly under his purview to commit to being "extremely hardcore" and working "long hours at high intensity."
"Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade," Musk wrote to Twitter employees at the time.
This is patterned on how Musk destroyed Twitter, down to the subject line of the email. Twitter/X’s business is a shell of its former self. It has lost 80% of its value from when Musk took over. Government is supposed to serve the American people and make people’s lives better, it’s not a business.
What I heard about this:
1. The "deal" sealed with an e-mail response of "resign" isn't legal.
2. A severance of 8 months salary is against regulations that cap this at $25K
3. Even if this proceeded, there is no budget line item passed to cover the ~$120 billion needed to cover the costs.
Then Musk replied on the other place that it is a buyout and people don't have to work, contradicting the fork memo. But then the last minute FAQ added said people don't have to work unless the agency requires it. I wish I could enjoy how disorganized they are but it's kind of terrifying.
I’ve worked in big companies for 40 years and seen a lot of buyouts and layoffs. This is not at all how this works. They’re asking for a letter of resignation and not providing a severance contract with the terms of the buyout, signed by the company. Following this is being suckered into quitting.
I think it's more insidious than this. They claim you're not expected to work, EXCEPT if your agency says you have to. Of course your agency will say you have to.
Tim Kaine has come out and said this is not legal. There are concerns that it could risk your pension- someone actually posted on here a notification their agency sent out telling them not to respond to the email! (so proud of that agency’s leadership!)
In addition,those who don't leave, their jobs are not guaranteed..sort of the main reason many rank and file workers choose government jobs. A secrue future with benefits and retirement. Most have no political agenda, just regular people..but I'd guess going forward you better have a red maga hat
I'm pretty sure part of the bigger plan behind all of this is ensuring there will always be a republican in office, one that will adhere to this same agenda. I don't believe they think there will ever be another democratic POTUS.
If they can keep voter suppression in place and if SCOTUS takes away birthright citizenship (and thus right to vote for those immigrants), then we are fucked.
But if they don’t, we actually outnumber them. And every bit of chaos peels off more Biden voters who took a chance on Trump this time.
While the agreement does not provide a buyout, a seperate OPM memo instructs agencies to place these employees on paid administrative leave until the resignation date, which if it is actually enforced, would be something closer to a buyout.
this is what i interpreted. Basically, if you’re not cool with coming into the office. We are letting you go but paying you through Sept. A lot of strong employees (who presumably would be confident in their marketable skills) will and should leave. The government will lose really good people
buyouts, reduction in force(RIFs) have occurred in previous years when new administration priorities and Congressional budget/policy priorities occur. So I’m sure Federal employees will know to check what the actual terms are for this “offer”before they take it
This agreement did not specify, it says they will be paid regardless of work load. So what’s to stop them from taking the package and working elsewhere? Who would monitor that? What if the majority take the package how will the cost be covered and would it really be a cost savings in the long run?
Indeed. It's close enough ("for government purposes"). It's scary however you slice it. Musk & co is using carrots & sticks to get good people to leave govt and destroy morale.
So many people commenting here would rather shoot the messenger for what they thought was a poor headline. C'mon.
The OPM memo adds to the confusion regarding this deferred resignation offer since admin leave is limited to 10 days in a calendar year. Source: Federal Register :: Administrative Leave, Investigative Leave, and Notice Leave https://search.app/112WBAV82LxgSvry5
Paid administrative duties IF their duties allow. If there's work they need to do, then they're required to do it. I can't imagine there are many employees if any who would have no work that needs to be done for the next 7-8 months.
Not really close to a buyout. When an employee is on ‘paid administrative leave’ they must be reachable by phone during normal work hours and can be required to report to the office within hours of being notified to do so. You can also be given work to accomplish while at home.
It does suggest that you might be able to get another job but one thing it's extremely vague on is whether or not you can work for the federal government again after that. It states that you are free to apply. I believe it's intentionally vague and directly targeting black and trans folks so...
I did see that in a separate memo. I think it's pure intimidation targeting all marginalized individuals. It's a purge and punishment for not being a cult member (bigoted white nationalist), so an enemy.
Not sure why this is so shocking to some people. Buyouts and early retirements have been around since at least Clinton, and used occasionally since that time.
The agreement laid out in the memorandum clearly states that employees will be expected to work until September, but may do so remotely. NOT a buy out.
1. According to sources on the other site, this email is very similar to one that musk sent to Tesla employees in 2022.
2. Federal employees have until 2/6 to respond yes or no
3. The email itself used language like ‘loyalty’ and ‘investigated’
4. It was sent to all two million federal staff
There are clear buyout and RIF procedures. This adheres to neither. So probably a) not legal b) absolves the government of certain responsibilities. That’s why it was sent out through an unofficial server.
2/3s of the federal work force. Never before. This is RAGE. Retire All Government Employees. See Curtis Yarvin.
"As of November 2024, there are just over 3 million federal employees in the United States. This includes both civilian personnel and those working for the U.S. Postal Service."
EXCEPT: they can also be fired while on admin leave. And fresh guidance says they can get other work while waiting, which is also grounds for termination.
The DOGE memo is not a buyout. It is soliciting voluntary deferred resignations to reduce numbers. The codified way to separate employees is a formal reduction in force which can result in involuntary separations while protecting severance, offering buy outs and placement assistance. Go to https://OPM.gov
But the memo says the employee should be placed on admin leave "promptly," which is undefined and also creates an exception for employees that need to keep working to transition their duties. (And who are they transitioning their duties to, exactly?)
Their job isn't to look out the window and see whether it's raining, you see. They can just quote one guy say it is, another guy says it isn't, and send it to their editor.
Em said it..”One Shot” is what you got. Crisp white shirts, suits & Ties, in the 3 branches, no time to quit Blowing whistles, halls justice, court room noise, whatever it takes, now it’s your turn to be hero..,
stand fucking ground.
“One shot.., Lose yourself”. E⚖️🇺🇸🥊 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y
Nope, the email says this duties can’t be put in contract workers which tells me that they plan to ditch a lot of those contracts. I used to be a contractor and we were in a constant state of stress. I eventually left the government altogether and started my own company. Govmt work is stressful
The issue is that the language doesn't say that they would specifically still be working from home or not it's extremely vague at one point states that it's up to the employers discretion as to what type of work they would be doing. It's really fucking screwy
I hope that they are all aware that they can still file for unemployment, even if they resign. The standard is more difficult, but basically boils down to a judicial hearing, and whether a "reasonable person" would feel their employer was so out of line that they had to leave. Every one should file.
I'm fully eligible to retire and I'm doing it the right way. I would not feel right taking pay for months without working. That's waste. I won't play games with my retirement i do not trust any of these people at the top now.
Second this, and I hope their union (those who are represented, anyway) is telling them this too. Lots of white-collar workers are weird about entering the UI process because classism, but why on Earth wouldn't you under these circumstances?
Usually, these types of agreements include a clause that they will not challenge an unemployment claim. However, I wouldn't trust this administration. Also, I believe the decision for who receives it ultimately lies with the individual state.
They can look for other jobs they cannot accept a job until the day after the agreement ends. But that's the rub. No unemployment benefits because they were given severance. Even if they weren't paid severance they're considered full-time employees on administrative leave.
Have y’all been paying attention? Be assured the DJT administration will fight tooth & nail any attempts to give UI to people who voluntarily quit. First, all of them will have been deemed “disloyal.” He’ll try to grind them to the ground. Look at his MO.
Either way, unless the employees are die-hard MAGA loyalists, they are being offered a “no-win” proposition!! Depending on their ages, skills, and marketability, they may want to hit the job market before all of the other DJT casualties do. If eligible, retirement might be their most viable option.
Correct; of course, the communication for employees fails to mention that anyone who resigns (i.e., “voluntarily quits”) their job is ineligible to apply for U/I. Many people might not think about that, given the highly stressful circumstances in the federal government at this time.
Yes, but in the event that they are unable to find another job during that period, they will be unable to apply for unemployment. These are two separate matters. A glut of folks suddenly in the job market will surely mean not everyone finds a new job in 8 months. Especially the older folks.
Such BS, they accept the money they can't get unemployment so when they still can't find a job and the money is gone, they'll have to take a job as a greeter at Walmart for minimum wage. Thus, creating more working poor from career civil servants. He is CREATING A NEW CLASS OF WORKING POOR!
Yup. I hope not one of them takes him up on that offer. We know he never pays what he tells people he will if at all! He can't be trusted. Get a lawyer file a lawsuit!!
I'm sure this is part of how Dump intends to replace the immigrants he's booting out of the country. Make enough of them desperate for work, and some poor former office workers are going to end up working farms...
Basically everyone over 50 becomes and Uber driver, instacart shopper, or Doordasher. An already over saturated space. The truly desperate will, as you say, become Walmart greeters. That group will skew older and more female, IMO.
One can voluntarily quit/resign and receive severance and still qualify for unemployment benefits. It's not a guarantee but, if one shows just cause to quit, you could still qualify. I work for a state unemployment agency.
This brings up one of my thoughts. With all the people layed off, will we even know the effect of total unemployment numbers or will that info not be allowed to be released. I guess they could take all the wonderful jobs the immigrants have " stolen".
We will never see another accurate report about ANYTHING related to our government. We are officially in a dictatorship. I will never understand what people thought was going to happen. WE ARE SCREWED.
It seems that there are a lot of people who’ve never been laid off or received severance. You can receive severance and file immediately for unemployment. You cannot file if you are still employed (admin leave). You usually do not qualify at separation if you RESIGN.
And if they are on administrative leave then they are still employed by the govt, which means they most likely cannot get another full time job until their termination from their govt job.
Unemployment rules can vary state to state, but in CA yes - if you’re laid off you can file for unemployment immediately and are eligible for UI payments after 1 week. Severance is not considered “income” for the purposes of offsetting UI payments - it stacks.
in Arizona you can be denied unemployment if you receive severance - last time I got laid off I received ~$4000 in severance and was denied unemployment
Is that only if they give you severance in one chunk or if you get it paid out over the severance period. My husband was just laid off and has 19 weeks but we thought no unemployment because he will paid every two weeks. As well if he gets any job at all it ends.
I don't listen to my local NPR station anymore because I can't stand to listen to the awful national NPR news shows.
Used to be what I'd listen to while waiting for my car's Bluetooth connection to start, thankfully the radio volume is separate from BT volume so the radio is just muted now.
The OPM website is no longer in control of people who actually know and respect the law. It would be very unwise to agree to anything until it's been vetted and clearly explained by your own agencies' HR & leadership.
Oh, it’s 100% bogus. I was just pointing out that the early reporting was using the terminology that was known at the time before the administration itself contradicted that by using a different term for their online guidance.
On September 30, 2025 every damn Federal employee should call in sick....shut the sumbitch down and show them who actually has the power. If you have 20 sick days....take all of them.
That'd probably be construed as a strike. And since it's illegal for federal employees to strike, they'd have an easy justification for just firing everyone without challenge. Which is ultimately what they want so they can replace everyone with yes-men.
My guess is when these WFH folks return to "their offices' the new management is going to freak out..."where are we going to put these people...we have no offices." No shit numbnuts, that's why they were working remotely. No way would I accept the deal...fire me assholes.
Here's the policy site for the gov's HR officers. It's different from the Fork memo. One of the differences: there's no use of the word "may" to scare people into quitting. There's no mention at all of the Fork memo's implied threat to change all fed jobs to "at will" if they don't quit.
Comments
Like Hegseth, Gabbard or Trump himself, that kind of excellence?
What a lie and what a joke America is being turned into.
Excellence is a measure of more than simply net worth, obviously.
This is so sad for USA
It mirrors the 2022 language Musk used when he asked Twitter employees newly under his purview to commit to being "extremely hardcore" and working "long hours at high intensity."
"Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade," Musk wrote to Twitter employees at the time.
power.
I haven’t seen a single person in Trumps appointments that are of any excellence.
Of course that’s not at all the goal. The goal is to infiltrate even further the deep state of maga sycophants throughout our government.
1. The "deal" sealed with an e-mail response of "resign" isn't legal.
2. A severance of 8 months salary is against regulations that cap this at $25K
3. Even if this proceeded, there is no budget line item passed to cover the ~$120 billion needed to cover the costs.
section says this:
https://chcoc.gov/
There's a lot of people that are up for retirement if they take this still will it deny them retirement.
Deny unemployment after Sept because they quit.
And they can't take another job until after September.
From your link (clicking on FAQ):
But if they don’t, we actually outnumber them. And every bit of chaos peels off more Biden voters who took a chance on Trump this time.
https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM%20Guidance%20Memo%20re%20Deferred%20Resignation%20Program%201-28-2025.pdf
Par for the course with these lifelong criminals.
Maybe this is the same info: https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1icy4vf/a_few_points_to_keep_in_mind_as_you_consider_the/
So many people commenting here would rather shoot the messenger for what they thought was a poor headline. C'mon.
The con is simple, yet profound,
Push the skilled out, bring the clowns.
Out with knowledge, in with fools,
Government run by partisan tools.
2. Federal employees have until 2/6 to respond yes or no
3. The email itself used language like ‘loyalty’ and ‘investigated’
4. It was sent to all two million federal staff
"As of November 2024, there are just over 3 million federal employees in the United States. This includes both civilian personnel and those working for the U.S. Postal Service."
I know they don't care about laws but the specifics of how it might work is much less important that the fact that it is not legal.
1. Get people to respond & put them on a list
2. Cancel offer after few days saying it can’t be funded
3. Target list to be fired because they can’t be trusted or make their jobs suck so bad they quit.
And now that they've pardoned all the J6 prisoners they have an excellent pool of replacements.
stand fucking ground.
“One shot.., Lose yourself”. E⚖️🇺🇸🥊
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y
These are 2 conflicting statements.
I think it's well past time to allow misreporting to go unchallenged. We've seen firsthand the damage wrought by disinformation campaigns.
They can look for other jobs they cannot accept a job until the day after the agreement ends. But that's the rub. No unemployment benefits because they were given severance. Even if they weren't paid severance they're considered full-time employees on administrative leave.
The money that they would possibly get on administrative leave... Would negate getting unemployment.
Nobody should take this deal.
That's the idea.
This is Neo-feudalism.
Used to be what I'd listen to while waiting for my car's Bluetooth connection to start, thankfully the radio volume is separate from BT volume so the radio is just muted now.
But 💩 by any other name is still 💩
https://chcoc.gov/
Also, they have until next week to decide. Real nice of them to give people time to think it through.