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A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to push federal employees into a controversial “deferred resignation” program, delaying an impending deadline that had sparked legal challenges from multiple federal employee unions.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole issued the ruling just hours before the original Feb. 6 deadline, preventing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from requiring federal workers to accept or reject the offer immediately. The decision comes as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the administration’s attempt to downsize the federal workforce through voluntary resignations.
“The program is not being blocked or canceled. The government will honor the deferred resignation offer,” OPM stated after the ruling, adding that the deadline has been extended to Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The program, referred to internally as the “Fork Directive,” offers federal employees the option to resign while still receiving full pay and benefits through Sept. 30. Those who accept the buyout would also be exempt from in-office work requirements until that time. However, the OPM directive also warned that those who reject the offer face uncertainty, as “the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force.”
The initiative has already attracted 40,000 federal workers—roughly 2% of the government workforce—but the White House anticipates that number will grow.
Legal and Political Backlash
The plan has been met with swift opposition. A coalition of four unions representing over 800,000 federal employees sued the administration, arguing that the program violates federal employment laws and lacks congressional authority.
“If these employees leave or are forced out en masse, the country will suffer a dangerous one-two punch,” the unions stated in their legal complaint. “The government will lose expertise in complex fields, and when vacant positions become politicized, partisanship is elevated over ability and truth, to the detriment of agency missions and the American people.”
Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, praised the court’s ruling, calling it a “great first step” toward protecting federal workers.
“We all depend on federal workers to keep our communities safe, healthy, and strong, and politics should never get between them and the essential services they provide,” Saunders said.
Additionally, a dozen state attorneys general have warned federal employees against accepting what they described as a “misleading” buyout offer. Employment lawyers have also expressed concerns, noting that the plan lacks clear legal guarantees and does not ensure job protections for those who decline.
A Musk-Inspired Workforce Overhaul?
The initiative has drawn comparisons to a 2022 ultimatum issued by Elon Musk to Twitter (now X) employees after he acquired the social media platform. In fact, the subject line of the OPM email—”Fork in the Road”—was identical to Musk’s directive at Twitter.
The White House has confirmed that Musk is currently working in the Trump administration as a “special government employee” overseeing the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with cutting federal spending and restructuring agencies.
Federal Workforce Cuts Continue
The “deferred resignation” program is just one component of President Trump’s broader plan to reduce the size of the federal government. Since returning to the White House, he has:
- Ordered millions of federal employees back to the office full-time, ending most remote work arrangements.
- Placed nearly all USAID staff on leave and begun shutting down its overseas missions.
- Pledged to eliminate multiple government agencies as part of his second-term agenda.
Despite the legal roadblocks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the program, arguing it provides a unique opportunity for federal employees unwilling to return to in-person work.
“We are grateful to the judge for extending the deadline so more federal workers who refuse to show up to the office can take the administration up on this very generous, once-in-a-lifetime offer,” Leavitt said.
As the legal battle over the Trump federal worker buyout continues, millions of federal employees remain uncertain about their future under an administration determined to reshape the government workforce.
