Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been given a mere 48 hours to provide details of their accomplishments over the past week, causing confusion across several key agencies. This new directive comes as tech billionaire Elon Musk continues his mission to reduce the size of the government. Musk, serving as President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting chief, announced the extraordinary request on his social media platform, X. According to his post, failure to respond to the email will be considered as resignation.
Following Musk’s announcement, federal employees, including judges, court staff, and federal prison officials, received a three-line email instructing them to reply with approximately five points detailing their accomplishments of the previous week, with a cc to their managers. Although the email did not include Musk’s social media threat about resignations for non-respondents, the deadline for replies was set as Monday at 11:59 pm.
This unusual directive from Musk’s team has introduced a wave of chaos among government agencies, including the National Weather Service, the state department, and the federal court system. Senior officials scrambled to verify the message’s authenticity and in some cases, advised their employees not to respond.
Tens of thousands of government employees, either through being fired or offered a buyout, have already exited the federal workforce during the first month of Trump’s administration. The cuts target various departments including Veterans Affairs, Defense, Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, and the National Parks Service, among others. The exact number of firings or layoffs remains unconfirmed, with the Associated Press reporting that hundreds of thousands of workers are affected.
Labor union leaders have quickly condemned the ultimatum and hinted at legal action. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), accused Trump and Musk of showing an “utter disdain” for federal employees, labeling the order as “cruel and disrespectful” to veterans who serve in civil service. AFGE has vowed to challenge any unlawful terminations of its members.
In a gathering of conservatives, Musk celebrated his new role by waving a giant chainsaw in the air, referring to it as “the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” and stating that waste is pervasive within the federal government.
McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson at the Office of Personnel Management, confirmed Musk’s directive and mentioned that individual agencies would determine the next steps. Several agencies, including the federal courts and the National Weather Service, have instructed their employees to ignore the email, confirming that it did not originate from their respective organizations.
This directive from Elon Musk has intensified the undercurrents of confusion and unease across federal agencies, highlighting the increasing presence of tech moguls in government affairs and the challenges faced by public sector workers under the current administration.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/23/elon-musk-tells-us-federal-workers-to-explain-what-they-achieved-last-week-or-be-fired
