President Donald Trump’s administration has offered millions of federal workers the chance to take a “deferred resignation.” A January 28 email from the Office of Personnel Management stated that those who take the buyout will be paid through the end of September. Workers have until February 6 to accept the offer.
“If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason),” the email explained.
The administration expects 5 to 10 percent of the federal workforce to take the buyouts, NBC4 Washington reported. The administration estimates it could lead to around $100 billion in savings.
The offer is available to all full-time federal employees. However, military personnel, U.S. Postal Service employees, immigration enforcement and national security positions, and “those in any other positions specifically excluded by your employing agency” are not eligible.
Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, said in a statement that, “American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees, and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers. If they don’t want to work in the office and contribute to making America great again, then they are free to choose a different line of work, and the Trump Administration will provide a very generous payout of 8 months.”
Meanwhile, on the Senate floor yesterday, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine had strong words about the offer. “The president has no authority to make that offer,” Kaine said. “There’s no budget line item to pay people who are not showing up for work.”
Kaine warned federal workers, “Don’t be fooled. … If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you.”
The buyout is the latest in a flurry of changes the Trump administration is making that will have far-reaching effects on the federal workplace. Earlier this month, Trump issued a call for federal workers to return to in-office work full time and placed a hiring freeze on federal jobs.
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