Washington, D.C. – The White House confirmed Tuesday that less than half of all federal employees responded to a request from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to submit a list of their recent accomplishments—a directive from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“I can announce that we have had more than one million workers who have chosen to participate in this very simple task,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, adding that “all federal workers should be working at the same pace that President Trump is working and moving.”
With over 2.4 million federal employees, that means more than 1.4 million workers have yet to respond.
What is DOGE’s Email Directive?
Key Details:
- Federal employees were instructed to send an email listing five bullet points summarizing their accomplishments.
- Emails were to be sent to direct supervisors and cc’d to OPM.
- Deadline: Monday, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Musk’s Warning:
- Non-compliance = Resignation?
- Musk initially stated failure to respond would be considered a resignation.
- Second Chance:
- On Monday, Musk walked back the ultimatum, stating employees will get “another chance”.
- “Failure to respond a second time will result in termination,” Musk warned.
Trump’s Take on DOGE’s Move:
“It’s a pretty ingenious idea. By asking, ‘Tell us what you did this week,’ you’re basically asking, ‘Are you actually working?’ And if you don’t answer, you’re fired.”
Confusion & Resistance Across Federal Agencies
At Least 8 Agencies Defied the Order
- Departments that told employees they didn’t have to respond include:
- Department of Defense
- State Department
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Other unnamed agencies
Conflicting Guidance:
- Some agencies failed to clarify whether employees were required to comply, leading to widespread confusion.
DOGE’s Broader Efforts to Restructure the Federal Workforce
Recent Federal Buyout Offer:
- Over 40,000 workers took a voluntary buyout from January 28 to February 6.
DOGE’s Push for “Government Efficiency”
- Musk first pitched the idea of a government-efficiency commission to Trump during a livestream in August.
- Trump later appointed Musk as DOGE’s leader in November after winning the election.
DOGE’s ultimate goal: Mass layoffs and cost-cutting across federal agencies.
