Deferred Resignation

From the WP:

“What federal workers should know about Trump administration’s ‘deferred resignation’ offer”

The White House announced details Tuesday of a “deferred resignation” offer it made to federal employees that allows them to resign with pay through Sept. 30. Here’s what we know about the offer, which affects the majority of the 2.3 million workers employed by the government and was made in an email blast Tuesday afternoon. It is the latest step the Trump administration has taken to reshape the federal workforce - including ordering most federal workers back to the office, firing inspectors general at several agencies and directing the government to lay off staff working on diversity, equity and inclusion.

What is the offer? Federal workers who accept the deferred resignation offer will remain employed, retain all pay and benefits, and be exempt from in-person work requirements until their final resignation date of Sept. 30, according to the Office of Personnel Management. The deferred resignation letter shared by the office suggests that those who take the offer could see their duties changed - or be reassigned or placed on leave - before their resignation. Agencies may make “adjustments” in response to resignations 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,” the letter states. Under the offer, employees can accelerate their resignation date but not extend it. If a federal worker becomes eligible for early or normal retirement at any point before their resignation date, they may also elect to retire, according to the office.

What happens to those who don’t accept it? The offer expires Feb. 6, according to the office, and there is no penalty for civil servants who do not respond to the email with the offer. The announcement states that the majority of federal agencies will be downsized as part of the Trump administration’s overhauls, likely through furloughs and reclassifying employees to at-will status, which would make them easier to fire. For those who do not take the offer, “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,” the announcement states.

Who received it - and who didn’t? Not all federal employees are eligible. Agency heads may determine carve-outs within their agencies. Military personnel, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, and those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security are also exempt, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

Why is the Trump administration doing this? Trump pledged on the campaign trail to shrink the civil service, which he and his allies have cast as a liberal “deep state” that disrupted his plans during his first term. Billionaire Elon Musk, the head of the “Department of Governmental Efficiency,” previously vowed to slash the federal workforce as part of a sweeping plan to eliminate agencies and shrink the federal budget.

Has anything like this been done before? Trump made several attempts to weaken protections for federal employees in his first term, most significantly when he issued an executive order in 2020 to strip tens of thousands of civil servants of employment protections and allow his administration to fire them at will. President Joe Biden rescinded the order, but Trump reinstated it after assuming office this month. The Office of Personnel Management sent the offer to employees under the subject line “Fork in the Road,” invoking the title Musk used to offer employees severance as part of his overhaul of Twitter in 2022. He ultimately reduced the size of the company’s staff by around 80 percent.

What has the response to this been so far? Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday night, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) argued that Trump’s offer to federal employees overstepped his authority. “The President has no authority to make that offer. There’s no budget line item to pay people who are not showing up for work,” Kaine said. “If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you.” Likewise, the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents employees at 35 federal agencies, sent an email to members Tuesday urging them not to accept the resignation offer. “We are reviewing the email closely and will have more information tomorrow,” the note said. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers, condemned the announcement Tuesday. “Purging the federal government of dedicated career civil servants will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government,” AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a news release, which also stated that “there are more Americans than ever who rely on government services.” “This offer should not be viewed as voluntary. Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration’s goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to,” Kelley said.

^ I wonder if anyone will accept this offer. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-workers-know-trump-administration-142156317.html