Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), issues a controversial directive requiring all federal employees to list five work-related accomplishments from the previous week by 11:59 p.m. on February 24, 2025. The email, sent to approximately 2.3 million government workers, warns that failure to respond would be considered a resignation. The directive, endorsed by President Donald Trump, leads to confusion, resistance from federal agencies, and a wave of resignations.
Following the initial deadline, Musk announces on X that, subject to the President’s discretion, employees who fail to respond will be given a second chance. He reiterates that non-compliance after this extension will result in termination. President Trump supports Musk’s initiative, stating that employees who do not comply will be “semi-fired or fired.”
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) initially supports the directive but later states that responses are voluntary, leading to contradictory messages and widespread confusion among federal workers. Several agency heads advise employees to disregard the email, citing concerns over security and procedural violations. FBI Director Kash Patel expresses concerns about the directive, suggesting that his agency will not comply.
In response, twenty-one employees from DOGE resign on February 25, 2025. The resignations come from engineers, data scientists, designers, and product managers from the United States Digital Service (USDS), who state they refuse to use their expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” In their joint resignation letter, they write, “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations. However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”
Musk dismisses the resignations as actions of “politically motivated holdovers” and remains committed to his cost-cutting measures. He argues that non-responsive employees may be non-existent or fraudulently collecting salaries. Despite the OPM’s indication that workers can ignore Musk’s email, he continues to threaten termination for non-compliance.
The situation highlights divisions within the Trump administration, with some agencies instructing workers to comply and others advising them otherwise. Federal unions and advocacy organizations file lawsuits against Musk, claiming the move constitutes employment fraud and violates established civil service protections. The American Federation of Government Employees criticizes the request as disrespectful and outside Musk’s authority.
As the administration grapples with executing Musk’s aggressive downsizing strategy, legal challenges against the directive and further resignations are expected. The outcome of this initiative could have lasting implications for federal employment policies and the balance of power within government operations.
Sources:
- New York Magazine
- Reuters
- The Guardian
- Associated Press
- Politico
- Wall Street Journal
- The Times
- NPR
- Fox 5 DC
- Al Jazeera
- Forbes
- U.S. News & World Report
- CNN
- Fox 9
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia
