Federal workers received unexpected emails Saturday afternoon asking them to detail their work from the prior week, sparking confusion across agencies. The messages, sent from an unsigned Office of Personnel Management account, instructed employees to provide five bullet points summarizing their accomplishments by Monday night. While the emails did not mention consequences for noncompliance, Elon Musk posted on X that failure to respond would be “taken as a resignation,” attributing the directive to President Trump’s push for federal workforce accountability.
Multiple agencies, including the FBI, advised staff not to reply immediately, signaling a lack of coordination within the executive branch. Union officials reported flooded inboxes with concerned members seeking clarity. “We’re telling people to wait for guidance,” one union leader told CNN.
Legal experts questioned the move’s enforceability. Federal employment attorney Michael Fallings noted that Musk’s resignation threat “lacks legal authority,” adding that forced resignations could be challenged in court. Employees were advised to consult managers or union reps before responding.
The demand follows recent Trump administration policies such as probationary employee terminations and return-to-office mandates that have unsettled the federal workforce. While supporters frame the email as part of broader efficiency efforts, critics argue the abrupt rollout and vague rationale risk undermining morale.
The emails themselves, marked urgent in some agencies, did not reference penalties, leaving workers to parse conflicting signals between Musk’s social media post and official channels. The episode highlights growing tensions over federal labor practices, with unions vowing to contest any punitive actions.
As Monday’s deadline looms, the situation underscores the challenges of overhauling federal operations while navigating legal guardrails and workforce protections.