Trump offers all federal workers a buyout with seven months' pay

The Trump administration has announced it will offer buyouts to all federal employees who choose to leave their positions in the coming week, a move aimed at shrinking the U.S. government at an unprecedented pace. A memo from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the government's human resources agency, stated that all federal employees will be held to “higher standards of suitability and conduct” and warned of potential future layoffs.

Emails sent to employees indicate that those who voluntarily leave will receive approximately seven months of pay, but must make their choice by February 6. President Trump’s political career has been built on promises to upend Washington, and he has vowed that his second administration will go even further in breaking with traditional political norms. However, the impact of so many government workers being invited to leave is difficult to estimate.

The federal government employs more than 3 million people, making it roughly the 15th largest employer in the U.S. According to a Pew Research Center analysis of OPM data, the average tenure of federal employees is nearly 12 years. Even if only a small fraction of employees accept buyouts, it could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger widespread disruption throughout society, with broad and unknown consequences for the delivery, timeliness, and effectiveness of federal services nationwide.

Large numbers of front-line medical staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs, officials who process loans for homebuyers or small businesses, and contractors who help procure the next generation of military weapons could all leave at the same time. This could also mean losing experienced food inspectors and scientists who test water systems, while disrupting everything from air travel to consumer product protection.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees union, responded that this should not be seen as a voluntary buyout, but rather as a move to force out employees who are deemed disloyal to the new administration. “Purging the federal government of its dedicated career federal employees will have tremendous, unintended consequences, creating chaos for Americans who rely on a functioning federal government,” Kelley said in a statement. “In a flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear the Trump administration’s goal is to make the federal government a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.”

In an email memo detailing the plan, the OPM listed four directives Trump has set for the federal workforce, including that most employees must return to the office full-time. “The vast majority of federal employees who have been teleworking since the pandemic will be required to return to a physical office five days a week,” the memo stated. This echoes Trump’s comments, when he said over the weekend about federal employees, “You have to go to your office and work. Otherwise, you’re going to lose your job.”

The memo also stated that Trump “will insist on excellence at all levels,” and while some government departments might see an increase in staff, “most federal agencies will likely be downsized.” Finally, the memo noted that “the federal workforce should consist of reliable, loyal, and trustworthy employees who strive for excellence in their daily work.” “As we move forward, employees will be held to higher standards of suitability and conduct,” the memo stated. “Employees engaged in unlawful or otherwise improper conduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, up to and including removal.”

The email includes a “Resignation Letter for Deferral,” for federal employees who wish to take part in the buyout program. “If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits, regardless of your day-to-day workload, and will be exempt from all applicable on-site work requirements through September 30,” the letter states. The email even includes instructions on how to accept: “If you wish to resign: select ‘reply’ to this email. You must reply from your government account.” It adds: “Type the word ‘Resign’ in the body of the email, and click ‘send.’”

Meanwhile, the OPM has released guidance on an executive order Trump signed on his first day back in office called “Schedule F/Policy Arrangement.” It replaces the Schedule F order Trump signed at the end of his first term that sought to reclassify thousands of federal employees as political appointees without the same job protections. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump’s Schedule F order almost immediately after taking office in 2021, and under his administration, the OPM issued a new rule last year aimed at making it more difficult to fire many federal employees.

This move is seen as a key goal to prevent the use of a new Schedule F order to help accomplish “Project 2025,” a comprehensive plan put forward by a conservative think tank in Washington to fire large portions of the federal workforce in favor of more conservative replacements, while also cutting the overall size of government. But that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from moving quickly to cut the federal workforce and leave employees with virtually no way to protest firings or reassignments.

Trump’s OPM set a deadline Monday for agencies to begin recommending workers for reclassification. Agency heads were directed to establish points of contact by Wednesday and begin submitting interim personnel proposals within 90 days. “Agencies are encouraged to submit proposals on a rolling basis prior to this date,” said OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell in a memo. Perhaps more dramatically, Trump’s personnel office directly rescinded Biden administration regulations from 2024 meant to better protect federal workers. The memo on Monday stated that Trump’s new executive order used the president’s power “to directly revoke these regulations.”