Elon Musk says federal staff should justify their work

Billionaire Elon Musk issued an ultimatum to federal staff Saturday, saying in a put up on his social media platform X that staff should reply to an electronic mail justifying the work they accomplished this week or resign.

Federal staff have already begun receiving an electronic mail asking to summarize their work, sources aware of the matter instructed NBC Information, although not like Musk’s put up, it doesn’t explicitly threaten a pressured resignation.

The e-mail, despatched from the Workplace of Personnel Administration and shared with NBC Information, requested staff to ship roughly 5 bullet factors itemizing what they achieved this week, CC’ing their managers. The e-mail requested that staff not ship any categorised data, hyperlinks or attachments and mentioned staff should reply by a deadline of Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET.

“In keeping with President @realDonaldTrump’s directions, all federal staff will shortly obtain an electronic mail requesting to know what they bought carried out final week. Failure to reply will likely be taken as a resignation,” Musk wrote.

OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pineover mentioned in an announcement to NBC Information that the workplace is requesting staff summarize their work.

“As a part of the Trump Administration’s dedication to an environment friendly and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking staff to offer a short abstract of what they did final week by the top of Monday, CC’ing their supervisor. Businesses will decide any subsequent steps,” Pineover wrote.

In an indication that not each Trump official is on the identical web page with Musk’s productiveness inquiry, FBI Director Kash Patel has instructed staff to “pause any responses” to the e-mail asking federal staff what they achieved final week. Patel mentioned the FBI will evaluation the work of its personal staff in accordance with its personal procedures.

Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Authorities Workers, condemned Musk and the Trump administration for the e-mail Saturday, vowing to problem “illegal terminations” of the union’s members and federal staff throughout the nation.

“As soon as once more, Elon Musk and the Trump Administration have proven their utter disdain for federal staff and the essential companies they supply to the American folks,” Kelley mentioned in an announcement.

“It’s merciless and disrespectful to a whole lot of hundreds of veterans who’re sporting their second uniform within the civil service to be pressured to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has by no means carried out one single hour of sincere public service in his life,” Kelley added.

A chapter representing Nationwide Treasury Workers Union members who work for the FDA’s headquarters “strongly” suggested members to not reply, including that the NTEU and its workplace of basic counsel are “taking fast motion.”

“We work for HHS/FDA, not OPM: OPM directives that haven’t been formally adopted or communicated by our employer, the FDA, don’t create an obligation so that you can reply,” the NTEU chapter’s steering mentioned.

The e-mail comes as Musk and his Division of Authorities Effectivity try to make sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, together with mass federal layoffs, the unintentional firing of Division of Agriculture officers who had been engaged on the federal government’s response to the chicken flu, and the makes an attempt at dismantling of businesses akin to USAID.

Over 3 million folks had been employed by the federal authorities as of November 2024, in line with Pew Analysis Middle.