1 day Ago By Tom Ozimek
Federal employees are being offered buyouts under the Trump administration’s new “deferred resignation” initiative, with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send emails with the proposal to federal workers, according to Katie Miller, a member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The White House did not respond to a request for additional information about the initiative. One of the objectives of DOGE is to reduce the size of the federal workforce as part of its broader mission to enhance governmental efficiency.
The OPM memo indicates that the voluntary program is being offered to all full-time federal employees, with the exception of personnel in the military, the U.S. Postal Service, immigration enforcement, and national security, or any positions specifically excluded by the employing agency.
“Deferred resignation exempts those employees who choose it from return-to-office requirements,” the memo states, noting also that employees who accept deferred resignation should have their duties re-assigned or eliminated promptly and be placed on administrative leave immediately until Sept. 30. Employees will continue to accrue retirement benefits during the deferred resignation period, while those who miss the Feb.
6 deadline to submit their resignations due to factors like being on leave may be granted an extension, the memo states. Employees will also be allowed to accelerate their resignation date to earlier than Sept. 30, but no extensions will be permitted.
The buyout proposal has drawn criticism from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing federal employees. “This offer should not be viewed as voluntary,” Kelley added. “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.
” Meanwhile, the return-to-office plans the agency heads are being required to prepare include detailing steps for updating telework agreements, establish timelines for eligible employees to transition back to in-person work, and outline procedures for handling exceptions to the return-to-office mandate based on medical or other compelling circumstances. Additionally, agencies are instructed to identify any risks or obstacles, such as resource limitations, that might hinder a swift return to in-person operations..
