The Trump administration has informed federal agency leaders that they can disregard the public directive from Elon Musk to terminate employees who did not submit bullet-point summaries of their work from the previous week. This move marks a notable departure from the billionaire’s significant influence in reducing the size of the 2.3 million-person federal workforce.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which acts as the HR department for the federal government, communicated this decision during a call with agency chief human capital officers on Monday. According to an agency official familiar with the call, OPM is also considering implementing weekly reporting for government departments, but there are no current plans to analyze the emails submitted by employees.
Later on Monday, President Trump suggested that employees who did not respond could still face termination, while Musk indicated on his platform, X, that these employees would be given another chance to respond before being fired. An OPM memo stated that employees should reply, but agency heads have the discretion to exempt certain personnel from this requirement and should notify OPM of any exclusions.
Musk had announced on X that federal employees would receive an email asking for a list of their weekly tasks, with non-respondents considered as having resigned. This announcement led to confusion as agency leaders struggled to apply the guidance, and some agencies advised employees not to comply due to concerns over disclosing sensitive or national security-related information. The executive office of the president was noted as exempt from this directive.
The mixed and evolving guidance has been a hallmark of the Musk-led efforts to reduce the federal government’s size, causing backlash from courts, lawmakers, and bureaucracy insiders. A federal watchdog agency has already called for a pause on the Trump administration's recent firings of probationary federal employees, deeming them illegal.
Meanwhile, some departments, such as those at NASA, the Agriculture Department, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have informed employees that responding to Musk’s email is optional. The Department of Health and Human Services even warned that any responses could be read by foreign actors.
Despite the administration's backing down on Musk's directive, some agency heads still require employees to respond, with ongoing weekly reporting in place at certain departments. The Commerce Department offered a compromise, instructing employees to report their activities internally rather than to OPM.
The DOGE Service's initiative has sparked criticism and highlighted internal conflicts, with some officials pushing back against Musk’s broad directives. Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, noted that Cabinet heads prefer to manage their agencies independently rather than following across-the-board cuts.
In response to these developments, many federal workers have expressed frustration, describing the varying instructions as counterproductive. A TSA employee reported operational disruptions as staff were diverted to respond to emails, causing inefficiencies and longer lines at airports.
This situation underscores the complexities and challenges of implementing sweeping workforce changes in the federal government, particularly when directives come from external influences like Elon Musk. As the administration navigates this landscape, clarity and consistent communication remain critical to maintaining effective operations.
