President Donald Trump has given buyout packages to practically all federal employees who do not want to return to work, in a significant move aimed at shrinking the US government.
In an email addressed to millions of employees on Tuesday, his administration told them they had until February 6 to determine whether they wanted to participate in a “deferred resignation program”.
If they agreed to quit their positions by that date, the message stated that they would get approximately eight months’ income as a severance package.
According to CBS News, the Trump administration expects up to 10% of employees, or approximately 200,000 of the federal government’s more than two million workers, to take the offer.
Senior Trump administration officials told US media that the buyouts may save the government up to $100 billion (£80 billion).
Workers who wanted to accept the agreement on Tuesday were invited to respond to an email with the term “resign” in the subject line. The offer includes both wages and benefits for employees until September 30th.
According to the email, certain employees did not receive the offer, including postal workers, military members, immigration authorities, and some national security personnel.
The Office of Personnel Management, the government’s human resources agency, issued a message on Tuesday evening warning of further downsizing, which could affect individuals who chose to stay.
“We cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity,” the statement continues.
The email comes after Trump’s earlier announcement that government employees who have been working remotely since the Covid epidemic will be expected to return to the office five days a week.
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, told CNN on Tuesday that the government’s two million employees were “overwhelmingly left of center,” and that Trump needed to “get control of government.”
During his campaign, Trump constantly promised to reduce the size of the government and cut federal expenditure.
He assigned Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with overseeing an advisory council aimed at reducing federal regulations, budget, and headcounts. Ramaswamy has now departed the “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge).
However, the email on Tuesday is similar to one addressed to Twitter, now X, employees in late 2022, after Musk purchased the social media network. He requested an email response if they wished to stay at the company.
The mass buyout offer came at the conclusion of a hectic day in Washington, as Trump published a memo stating that he would suspend federal grants, loans, and other help.
A district court stayed the ruling, which was scheduled to take effect on Tuesday afternoon, until next Monday.
In the hours preceding the announcement, there was widespread misunderstanding over which federal programs and organizations would be affected. The White House frequently attempted to alleviate fears that Social Security payments and Medicaid access might be halted.
In a letter to the White House, leading Democrats expressed “extreme alarm” over the funding halt plan.
On Tuesday, Trump also signed an executive order restricting young people’s access to gender care.
The directive, titled ‘Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation’, states that it will prevent anyone under the age of 19 from making “life-altering” decisions.
“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another,” according to the directive.
It is unclear how the order will be implemented, and it is likely to be contested in court.