The New York Times [gift link] – How Many Federal Worker Resignations Would Be a Lot? When the federal Office of Personnel Management first proposed a “deferred resignation” package to induce federal workers to quit last week, [EM] circulated an estimate that the offer could lure 5 to 10 percent of the government’s work force to leave. That estimate so far looks like an overshoot. By midday Friday, with the original Thursday deadline to accept the offer now paused by a federal judge, more than 65,000 workers had planned to resign, said McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson for O.P.M. That number — which could still rise further amid legal uncertainty — represents less than 3 percent of all 2.3 million federal workers, excluding the military and Postal Service. For perspective, about 150,000 federal workers, or 7 percent, voluntarily leave the government every year. The scale of resignations submitted as of Friday — offered in exchange for seven months of pay and benefits — would be the equivalent of five months’ worth of departures, many of which might have happened this year anyway. In other words, the federal government is an enormous work force that already experiences sizable turnover every year. In addition to workers who leave the government to retire or simply to quit, about another 50,000 to 60,000 are terminated every year for disciplinary or performance reasons, or because their appointments or funds expired. A small number — around 3,400 — die each year while employed by the government. All these departures are typically replaced by about 240,000 hires each year.
Per Bloomberg, February 6, 2025 [unpaywalled] – “President Donald Trump’s offer for federal employees to resign from their posts has already been accepted by more 50,000 workers, according to a person familiar with the effort. Now the administration is signaling a tougher posture in its bid to shrink the government’s workforce, asking federal agencies to draw up lists of their poorest performing employees by March 7. The Office of Personnel Management has instructed agencies to provide lists of “all employees who received less than a ‘fully successful’ performance rating in the past three years.” The memo, from OPM acting director Charles Ezell, said the list would be used to ensure that agencies can “swiftly terminate poor performing employees.” “OPM is developing new performance metrics for evaluating the federal workforce that aligns with the priorities and standards in the President’s recent Executive Orders,” Ezell wrote in his memo. He also asked agencies for any policies, such as union contracts or pending arbitration cases, that would prevent them from “making meaningful distinctions based on relative employee performance.”
Government Executive, February 6, 2025 – A federal judge in Massachusetts on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to cease all activities aimed at implementing Trump and Elon Musk’s controversial “deferred resignation” program until next week. On Tuesday, the American Federation of Government Employees, AFSCME and the National Association of Government Employees sued the Office of Personnel Management in an effort to halt the program, which offered most federal workers the chance to quit this month while retaining their pay and benefits until the end of September, provided they agree to resign by midnight Thursday. The unions argued that the program violates the Anti-Deficiency Act by pledging federal payments past the current March 14 government funding deadline and its ever-changing provisions and legal justifications violate the Administrative Procedures Act. U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr., a Clinton appointee, said he would enjoin the program until the parties can meet to deliver oral arguments, a hearing for which is now set for Monday afternoon.
As if we have not been in a lessons not learned class since noon on January 20, 2025 today Newsweek reported, February: “One of the people who received an email from allies of Elon Musk was a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit aimed at blocking these messages. “I, like probably every other judge in the country, also received the [Office of Personnel Management] email,” U.S. District Judge Randolph Daniel Moss said during a hearing related to the lawsuit on Thursday. “I did not respond to it. I suspect it was sent to the judges by mistake.” [No, I think, not.]
Via X, February 5, 2025 – Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy: “Big News – Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system.”
Note that federal employees are reporting the resignation email statement has been revised to conform to the Antideficiencies Act language – “Any obligations herein are subject to the availability of appropriations” as well as some “other updates.” Those include protections for workers over 40 pursuant to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Older Workers Benefit Protection Act…Federal news Network: “The Antideficiency Act forbids OPM from guaranteeing payment without an appropriation. Particularly where, as here, OPM does not know the contours of future appropriations or funding levels, this promise is improper,” the plaintiffs wrote. “If Congress decides to not fund certain offices after March 14, for example, employees in those offices who accepted the Fork Directive would have no appropriation to satisfy their promised pay.”
NPR Update February 5, 2025 – Employees at the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence were sent deferred resignation offer letters this week, according to three sources familiar with the matter. These are the first examples of the national security and intelligence workforce being included in broader efforts to downsize the federal government by the Trump administration. The move is causing panic within the broader national security community that years of experience, talent and secrets could soon be heading out the door from the CIA and ODNI headquarters in McLean, Va., and the NSA’s in Fort Meade, Md. The offer was extended to “any employee” at the agencies, as part of an effort to align the intelligence community with President Trump’s agenda, though sources suggested there might be exceptions for especially sensitive or high priority positions.
Update February 5, 2025, WSJ [paywall] – CIA Offers Buyout to Entire Workforce as Part of Trump Makeover. Spy agency’s workforce receives buyout-style offer.
CNN via MSN – not paywalled – continues this reporting on February 5, 2025 – The Central Intelligence Agency on Tuesday became the first major national security agency to offer so-called buyouts to its entire workforce, a CIA spokesperson and two other sources familiar with the offer said, part of President Donald Trump’s broad effort to shrink the federal government and shape it to his agenda. The offer — which tells federal employees that they can quit their jobs and receive roughly eight months of pay and benefits — had up until Tuesday not been made available to most national security roles in an apparent cognizance of their critical function to the security of the nation. CIA Director John Ratcliffe personally decided he also wanted the CIA to be involved, one of the sources said. The spokesperson said that the move is part of Ratcliffe’s efforts to “ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities,” adding that is “part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy.”
AP, February 5, 2025 – Trump’s administration is pulling almost all USAID workers off the job worldwide – The Trump administration said Tuesday that it is pulling almost all U.S. Agency for International Development workers off the job and out of the field worldwide, moving to all but end a six-decade mission to shore up American security by fighting starvation, funding education and working to end epidemics. The administration notified USAID workers in emails and a notice posted online, the latest in a sudden dismantling of the aid agency by returning political appointees from President Donald Trump’s first term and billionaire Elon Musk’s government-efficiency teams who call much of the spending on programs overseas wasteful. The order takes effect just before midnight Friday and gives direct hires of the agency overseas — many of whom have been frantically packing up households in expectation of the announcement — 30 days to return home unless they are deemed essential. Contractors not determined to be essential also would be fired, the notice said. The move had been rumored for several days and was the most extreme of several proposals considered for consolidating the agency into the State Department. Other options had included closures of smaller USAID missions and partial closures of larger ones.
See also FedScoop February 2, 2025 – USAID website goes dark, staff emails deactivated amid DOGE takeover, source says. DOGE workers’ access to USAID systems signals an uncertain fate for the development agency.
Update per February 3, 2025 posting by journalist Marisa Kabas on her Bluesky account: “Federal employees have received a copy of the deferred resignation agreement. Contains a lot of brow-raising lines such as, “Employee waives any claim that could be brought on Employee’s behalf by another entity, including Employee’s labor union.” Full text shared with me:
![Deferred Resignation Agreement This agreement is between [AGENCY] and the Employee identified below. WHEREAS, on or about January 28, 2025, OPM circulated a memorandum to all [AGENCY] employees (Fork in the Road Memo) offering them a voluntary deferred resignation option. The offer allows those employees who accept the offer by February 6, 2025 to retain all pay and benefits and exempts them from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025, or earlier if they choose to accelerate the resignation date for any reason (Deferred Resignation Program); and WHEREAS, [AGENCY] has received Employee’s voluntary request to be included in the Deferred Resignation Program; and WHEREAS, [AGENCY] accepts Employee’s request to be included in the Deferred Resignation Program; and WHEREAS, the parties wish to express the terms and conditions of the agreement between the parties concerning Employee’s participation in the Deferred Resignation Program. WHEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows: Employee is accepted into the Deferred Resignation Program. Employee agrees to continue working through February 28, 2025, in an effort to ensure a smooth transition of Employee’s duties, responsibilities and work assignments to other staff. Employee is exempt from all in-person work requirements. Employee agrees to turn in all [AGENCY] equipment and property on or before February 28, 2025, as directed by Employee’s supervisor.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:ejihld4sywvvqwe67cdkn4jq/bafkreigyjx7ee7ylajigg7e7judfiwf74nnnyz44plwn6ly5yoqolg63na@jpeg)
![By signing this agreement, the parties acknowledge that they have entered the agreement knowingly, voluntarily, and free from improper influence, coercion, or duress. Employee understands that this agreement cannot be rescinded, except in the sole discretion of the [AGENCY HEAD], which shall not be subject to review at the Merit Systems Protection Board or otherwise. Employee acknowledges that [AGENCY], in conjunction with all other federal departments, agencies and units, will immediately rely on the terms of this agreement in consolidating and reassigning roles and otherwise taking steps to reform the agency workforce. Consequently, Employee understands that this agreement is final and Employee’s decision to resign effective September 30, 2025, unless Employee resigns or retires earlier as set forth above, is final. [AGENCY] shall comply with all terms of this agreement even if Employee’s position is eliminated or reassigned prior to September 30, 2025. Employee shall not be subject to furlough, termination, reduction –in force or layoff as a result of an OPM or federal government reorganization or reduction –in force. Employee agrees to cooperate with steps taken by [AGENCY] (such as reassignment to a different component) to exempt Employee from any reduction in force. If there is a lapse in appropriations during the term of this agreement that requires Employee to be placed on furlough status, Employee shall be placed on furlough status during the lapse. Once the lapse is over, Employee shall be taken off furlough and shall receive back pay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ejihld4sywvvqwe67cdkn4jq/bafkreib2hqyhxv6qqfgjjq764ye5qhmcwbevyjnyr2e3bldjaycpediyce@jpeg)
Editor’s Note – See Also: PSA: Backup Your eOPF and Payroll Records – Link to entire Guide: “If you haven’t already backed up your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF) and payroll records, now is the time to do it. It’s a quick process that ensures you have all your important documents saved in one place, rather than downloading them manually one by one. This method will allow you to download everything in just two PDF files—one for your eOPF and another for your payroll records—saving you time and frustration. Many people don’t realize that bulk downloads are possible, and this approach makes the entire process simple and efficient. There’s no good reason not to do this. It doesn’t take much time, and it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Step 1: Downloading Your eOPF – Your eOPF contains critical employment records, including SF-50s, performance reviews, and other key personnel documents. Instead of downloading each file manually, you can use the built-in bulk download option.
How to Download Your eOPF in Bulk
- Navigate to the My eOPF Print Folder tab.
- Select all available documents.
- Choose either Print Single-Sided or Print Double-Sided to generate a consolidated PDF.
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- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on OPM’s Deferred Resignation Program – American Federation of Government Employees (AFGA)
- National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) is responding to a mysterious and anonymous email sent to federal workers from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regarding a “deferred resignation” offer. The offer from OPM gives employees until February 6th to accept a deferred resignation that essentially places employees on administrative leave until a final termination date of September 30th. “Unlike structured programs that the federal government offered in the past to decrease the number of federal employees, this maneuver is intended to panic civil servants into accepting what seems like a sweet deal but is probably a scam,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “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. NFFE strongly urges our members and all federal employees to reject this offer. If employees accept it, they forfeit their due process rights and may forfeit any pay beyond their acceptance date. “This abuse of power is meant to replace nonpartisan civil servants with political operatives loyal to the Trump Administration. We saw the Project 2025 playbook implemented starting on Day One; many of the initiatives contained therein are designed to evade or disregard federal laws and regulations. This administration does not fear accountability from the courts, Congress, or the American people. “This administration and its controlling interests, like Elon Musk, count on civil servants to leave or submit to political pressure and corruption. I encourage every federal employee to stay steadfast in their commitment to serve their country in a civilian capacity. The United States needs you more than ever within its ranks to fight against corruption and political exploitation. I promise you that you are not alone if you remain on the job, fulfilling your oath to support and defend the Constitution and our American democracy, which must prevail.”
- Slate – I Just Got Trump’s “Buyout” Offer at My Job. Let Me Tell You How That’s Going [unpaywalled] By Denise Cana – “Welcome to government by chatbot. This latest buyout directive is evocative of A.I. gobbledygook, beyond evidently being a copy-and-paste job from Musk’s Twitter exploits. When technologists assess a new A.I. language tool, the go-to metric is generally not the accuracy of its product, or even the consistency of its answers. It is engagement. Substance is pushed aside in pursuit of simply keeping human eyeballs trained on its messages for as long as possible. Once considered a proxy for content’s ability to be “valuable” or “worthwhile,” attention itself has become the commodity we’re after: looks, likes, clicks, play next episode. Unfortunately, one of the easiest ways to engage people is to enrage them…”. And See Also by Denise Cana in Slate – I’m a Federal Worker. People Don’t Understand the Level of Heist Elon Musk Is Perpetrating [unpaywalled]: But if there’s one consistent message I’ve heard from colleagues who have been fired, colleagues who have already resigned, and colleagues who are trying to hold on through the uncertainty and chaos, it’s this: Our ranks may shrink. Our agencies may even shutter. But as we are forced from our desks, know that, wherever we may go, whatever happens to the keys upon which our lives depend, we strive to remain always in the public’s service..”
Editor’s Note – please see the report – Career civil servants across the government fired, programs suspended – list continues to grow, published January 28, 2025 for a comprehensive overview of all government actions and documents associated with the Trump administrations push to eliminate critical personnel, functions, expertise and services delivered by the federal government. Also via The Hill – OPM sued over privacy concerns with new government-wide email system
OPM – Fork in the Road – “Some social media sleuths were quick to point out that the title of the OPM memo, “Fork in the Road,” was also the subject line of an email the new DOGE head Elon Musk sent to Twitter employees in 2022 asking them to pledge to being “extremely hardcore” or resign.” [Note: Senator Tim Kaine [D-VA] Warns Federal Employees Against Taking Trump’s ‘Buyout’ Offer: ‘Do Not Be Fooled!’]
Frequently Asked Questions – Below is the email that was sent to federal employees on January 28, 2025 presenting a deferred resignation offer. If you did not respond to that email and wish to accept the deferred resignation offer, you may do so by following these steps.
| 1) | Send an email to [email protected] from your government account. Only an email from your .gov or .mil account will be accepted. |
| 2) | Type the word “Resign” into the “Subject” line of the email. Hit “Send”. |
Deferred Resignation Email to Federal Employees January 28, 2025
During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued a number of directives concerning the federal workforce. Among those directives, the President required that employees return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior career executives, and reformed the federal hiring process to focus on merit. As a result of the above orders, the reform of the federal workforce will be significant.
The reformed federal workforce will be built around four pillars:
| 1) | Return to Office: The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers. |
| 2) | Performance culture: The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level — our performance standards will be updated to reward and promote those that exceed expectations and address in a fair and open way those who do not meet the high standards which the taxpayers of this country have a right to demand. |
| 3) | More streamlined and flexible workforce: While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force. These actions are likely to include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of federal employees. |
| 4) | Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination. |
Each of the pillars outlined above will be pursued in accordance with applicable law, consistent with your agency’s policies, and to the extent permitted under relevant collective-bargaining agreements.
If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.
If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program. This program begins effective January 28 and is available to all federal employees until February 6. If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason). The details of this separation plan can be found below.
Whichever path you choose, we thank you for your service to The United States of America.
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DEFERRED RESIGNATION LETTER January 28, 2025
- Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from employment with my employing agency, effective September 30, 2025. I understand that I have the right to accelerate, but not extend, my resignation date if I wish to take advantage of the deferred resignation program. I also understand that if I am (or become) eligible for early or normal retirement before my resignation date, that I retain the right to elect early or normal retirement (once eligible) at any point prior to my resignation date.
- Given my impending resignation, I understand I will be exempt from any “Return to Office” requirements pursuant to recent directives and that I will maintain my current compensation and retain all existing benefits (including but not limited to retirement accruals) until my final resignation date.
- I am certain of my decision to resign and my choice to resign is fully voluntary. I understand my employing agency will likely make adjustments in response to my resignation including moving, eliminating, consolidating, reassigning my position and tasks, reducing my official duties, and/or placing me on paid administrative leave until my resignation date.
- I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition during my remaining time at my employing agency. Accordingly, I will assist my employing agency with completing reasonable and customary tasks and processes to facilitate my departure.’
- I understand that my acceptance of this offer will be sent to the Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) which will then share it with my agency employer. I hereby consent to OPM receiving, reviewing, and forwarding my acceptance.
- Upon submission of your resignation, you will receive a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of your email. Any replies to this email shall be for the exclusive use of accepting the deferred resignation letter. Any other replies to this email will not be reviewed, forwarded, or retained other than as required by applicable federal records laws.
- Once your resignation is validly sent and received, the human resources department of your employing agency will contact you to complete additional documentation, if any.
OPM is authorized to send this email under Executive Order 9830 and 5 U.S.C. §§ 301, 1103, 1104, 2951, 3301, 6504, 8347, and 8461. OPM intends to use your response to assist in federal workforce reorganization efforts in conjunction with employing agencies. See 88 Fed. Reg. 56058; 80 Fed. Reg. 72455 (listing routine uses). Response to this email is voluntary. Although you must respond to take advantage of the deferred resignation offer, there is no penalty for nonresponse.