The Trump administration's ambitious plan to offer mass buyouts to federal government workers remains in limbo as of Monday afternoon. A federal judge is currently assessing the legality of this unprecedented program, designed to drastically overhaul the federal workforce. The program targets approximately two million eligible federal employees and encourages them to accept the buyout, which would allow them to resign immediately while retaining pay and benefits until September 30.
Elon Musk, leading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, has been vocal in urging federal employees to embrace the buyout offer. Despite the enthusiasm from the administration, a nationwide injunction issued last Thursday by Judge George O'Toole Jr. has temporarily halted the program. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) did extend the deadline for employees to respond until Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET. However, they clarified that the program "is NOT being blocked or canceled."
By the time the injunction paused the program, over 60,000 federal employees had already opted into the buyout by replying to an email with the word "Resign." The Trump administration argues that delaying the deadline could lead to "remarkably disruptive and inequitable repercussions" and sees these buyouts as a critical aspect of President Donald Trump's broader strategy to reform the federal workforce.
Employee unions have criticized the initiative, describing it as a "sweeping and stunningly arbitrary action to solicit blanket resignations of federal workers." Concerns have also surfaced about the legality of the promises made by the Trump administration, with some legal experts questioning whether it can guarantee the payment commitments outlined in the buyout offer.
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