Federal employees are on edge after receiving emails from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) demanding that they list five recent work accomplishments or risk being fired.
The controversial move, backed by Elon Musk and the Trump administration, has sparked confusion, fear, and legal challenges from federal employee unions.
What’s in the DOGE Email?
The email sent to thousands of federal workers instructed recipients to submit a list of five things they accomplished in the past week. Failure to comply, the message warned, could result in termination.
Elon Musk, responding to backlash, mocked concerns, saying:
“I think that email was misinterpreted as a performance review, but actually it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse?”
For many government workers, however, this “pulse check” has become a source of anxiety, leaving them uncertain about their job security.
Union Leader Warns of Chaos Among Federal Workers
Ruark Hotopp, National Vice President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) District 8, which represents 18,000 federal employees, says the emails have caused widespread panic.
“They’re very much lost and confused.”
Hotopp argues that the accomplishment request is unnecessary, as federal agencies already report their activities through multiple oversight systems.
“Every federal agency has massive reporting requirements for congressional oversight. So, to be asked, ‘hey, just list us five things you did last week,’ well, they already have access to all of that information.”
Federal Employees Left in Limbo
Beyond the email demands, recent DOGE-led firings have left many federal workers feeling uncertain about their future.
Hotopp shared the story of a VA employee who uprooted his life for a federal job, only to be fired after three months—despite having high performance ratings.
“He moved from Texas to Iowa for a VA job. He had been there for about three months when he received one of these letters saying he was a poor performer. He showed me his performance appraisal, which showed the exact opposite—he had very high marks. But he signed a one-year lease in Des Moines, and now he’s stuck with no job.”
This case is just one of many where employees claim they were unfairly targeted for termination, further fueling concerns over DOGE’s rapid and aggressive workforce reductions.
Legal Action Against DOGE’s Policies
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has filed legal challenges against some of DOGE’s recent mass firings.
Union leaders argue that:
- Terminations based on vague or misleading criteria violate federal employee rights.
- DOGE’s oversight process lacks transparency and due process.
- Federal workers are being dismissed without proper justification, despite strong performance records.
