Document work or resign, Doge tells US federal workers in email

U.S. federal government employees received an email on Saturday afternoon requiring them to list their work accomplishments from the past week, or face resignation. This is the latest move by the Trump administration targeting federal workers. The directive is intended to streamline government efficiency and accountability.

Previously, billionaire and Trump confidant Elon Musk stated on Twitter that staff would "soon receive an email asking what work they have completed this past week." He also added, "Failure to reply will be taken as resignation." It is understood that Musk has been actively pushing for a significant reduction in government spending through funding cuts and employee layoffs, mirroring his approach in other ventures.

The email, with the subject line "What did you do this week?", was sent by a sender named "HR" and arrived in employees' inboxes shortly after Trump's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac). According to a copy of the email obtained by the BBC, employees were asked to explain their achievements over the past week in five bullet points by midnight on Monday, without disclosing classified information. This request aimed to quickly assess employee productivity and contributions.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government's human resources agency, confirmed the authenticity of the emails in a statement to BBC's U.S. news partner CBS. "As part of the Trump administration's commitment to building an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM requested employees to provide a brief summary of their work done last week, copied to their managers, by the end of Monday. Agencies will determine next steps." This action underscores the administration's focus on workforce optimization.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal employees, criticized the email as "cruel and disrespectful" and vowed to challenge any "illegal firings" of federal employees. Union President Everett Kelley said in a statement, "Elon Musk and the Trump administration are once again demonstrating their utter contempt for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people." The union's stance highlights the growing tension between labor and management.

Earlier that day, Trump boasted to a group of supporters at Cpac about the spending cuts and claimed that federal employees were unqualified because they were not coming into the office to work. The "Department of Government Efficiency (Doge)," while not an official government department, has seen Musk's team conduct extensive reforms to U.S. federal infrastructure with White House approval. In recent weeks, thousands of government employees at the IRS, the Pentagon, and the Federal Aviation Administration, among other agencies, have been laid off. These layoffs are part of a broader effort to reduce government size and expenditure.

The email mirrors Musk's treatment of employees after acquiring the social media platform Twitter in 2022. Under his leadership, the number of Twitter employees was drastically reduced, and he issued ultimatums, including a notorious demand that employees commit to being "extremely hardcore" at work or resign. Trump has repeatedly praised Musk's cost-cutting measures, suggesting a shared philosophy on workforce management.

Trump stated in a Truth Social post that Musk was doing a "fantastic job" in reducing the size of the federal government and said he would like to see Musk be "even more aggressive" in pursuing this goal. This endorsement signals continued support for Musk's approach to streamlining government operations and reducing costs.