US federal officials do not support Trump's request for dismissal - CNN
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
President Donald Trump's proposal for most federal employees to immediately resign and continue receiving their salaries until September has stunned many workers. Trade unions have denounced the proposal as illegal, reports CNN.
When employees of the US Department of Agriculture in Mississippi received the offer of deferred resignation on Tuesday, January 28, they read it, laughed at how absurd it was, and then deleted it.
Many federal employees in the US told CNN that they are unwilling to sacrifice benefits beyond their salaries - including healthcare, retirement plans, and student loan forgiveness - not to mention their careers.
Illegal proposals
Federal unions swiftly responded to the deferred resignation proposal, emphasizing that it is not a buyout and that the administration may not be able to fulfill it.
Unions pointed out that the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) notice was riddled with inconsistencies and uncertainties. They also questioned whether the agency had the legal authority to support the program or its promised benefits, calling the eligibility criteria vague.
The union warned that the offer provides no guarantees that employees whose resignations are accepted will receive the benefits the program intends to offer.
Additionally, the union noted that the federal government is only funded through mid-March, meaning the Trump administration cannot promise payments beyond that point unless Congress passes a spending bill.
This reaction prompted the Trump administration to send another email to employees on Friday, January 31, this time from individual agencies. The message emphasized in bold text, stated that the offer was valid, legal, and will be implemented by the respective departments.
Additionally, those who accept the offer will not be subject to layoffs or other early terminations, will not be required to work during the approximately eight-month period (with rare exceptions), and will be allowed to take non-government jobs during that time.
Federal-level reform
The email from the Office of Personnel Management, titled "Fork in the Road," bore similarities to an email sent by company X (formerly Twitter) to its employees just days after Elon Musk took over the company. Currently, Musk heads Trump's Government Efficiency Department, which is tasked with reducing the federal workforce.
The offer came as Trump seeks to reform the federal workforce by cutting its size, replacing career employees with political appointees, removing certain job protections for civil servants, halting diversity efforts, and more.
The federal government employs about 2.4 million people, excluding postal workers, who are not covered by the package. Military personnel and those in positions related to immigration services and national security are also exempt.
Those eligible must decide by February 6.
The federal employees' union has urged federal workers to reject the offer, questioning its legality.
"The offer is a scare tactic designed to pressure federal workers into quitting while promising under an illegal and unenforceable agreement to pay them until October," said Randy Ervin, the national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees.
Controversial actions of the Trump administration
At the end of January, the administration of President Biden instructed the heads of federal agencies to begin reducing staff in offices of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI). These programs are considered discriminatory by the White House.
Additionally, Trump signed an executive order suspending the issuance of financial aid grants to other countries.
