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Billionaire Elon Musk, in his new role spearheading federal workforce efficiency reforms, has issued a stark ultimatum to over 3 million federal employees: justify your work, or be considered resigned.
In a Saturday post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk stated that all federal employees would receive an email asking them to summarize their work over the past week. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation,” Musk wrote, attributing the directive to President Donald Trump.
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to shrink the federal workforce, but it has triggered immediate backlash from government employee unions, who are vowing to fight what they call an “unlawful mass termination”.
Federal Workers Receive Work Summary Request
According to sources familiar with the process, federal employees began receiving the controversial email shortly after Musk’s announcement. The message, sent by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and reviewed by NBC News, does not explicitly threaten termination but does instruct employees to list their weekly accomplishments in five bullet points and CC their managers.
The email also warned employees not to include classified information, links, or attachments, and set a strict Monday 11:59 p.m. ET deadline for responses.
In a statement to NBC News, OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pineover defended the initiative, calling it a necessary step toward an “efficient and accountable” federal workforce.
“As part of the Trump administration’s commitment to efficiency, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week. Agencies will determine any next steps,” Pineover said.
Unions Condemn the Move, Call It an Attack on Public Service
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation’s largest federal employee union, swiftly condemned Musk’s ultimatum and vowed to challenge what they describe as a mass firing attempt.
“Once again, Elon Musk and the Trump Administration have shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people,” AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a fiery statement.
Kelley specifically called out Musk’s lack of public service experience, arguing that forcing career civil servants to justify their jobs to an unelected billionaire was both “cruel and disrespectful.”
“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who have transitioned to civil service, only to be forced to prove their worth to a man who has never spent a single hour in public service,” Kelley added.
Mass Layoffs, Agency Cuts Raise Further Concerns
The controversial directive is just the latest in Musk’s push to downsize the federal government, which has already included:
- Mass layoffs across federal agencies
- The accidental firing of Department of Agriculture officials amid the government’s bird flu response
- Moves to dismantle agencies like USAID
With federal employees now under heightened scrutiny, the administration’s latest move is expected to face legal and congressional challenges, as labor groups and lawmakers assess whether Musk’s mandate violates federal employment protections.
As the Monday deadline looms, federal workers across the country remain on edge, awaiting potential repercussions from an administration determined to reshape the civil service—one email at a time.
