WASHINGTON, D.C. — A wave of frustration has swept across the federal workforce after a sudden directive from Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), forced federal employees to submit documentation of their weekly accomplishments.
The demand, delivered via email on Saturday, gave workers until Monday at 11:59 p.m. to comply or risk potential consequences, sparking outrage among unions and employees alike.
The emails required employees to submit five bullet points detailing their work for the prior week, with no clear explanation of how the information would be used.
What Sparked the Controversy?
The abrupt directive came shortly after President Donald Trump publicly urged Musk to take a stronger stance in leading DOGE. Trump, who has been vocal about his plans to streamline the federal workforce, described his vision of removing what he called “unnecessary” employees in a Truth Social post earlier that day.
“We’re removing all of the unnecessary, incompetent, and corrupt Democrats from the federal workforce,” Trump declared.
Musk’s request appears to align with the administration’s broader strategy to reduce government size and increase efficiency by targeting positions across multiple federal agencies.
Federal Workers React: “A Cruel and Disrespectful Move”
The sudden demand blindsided many of the nation’s 2.3 million federal employees, interrupting their weekends and leaving them questioning the purpose of the request.
- “It’s the perfect way to ruin the weekend for 2.3 million federal workers,” said a representative from the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
- “We work hard, but what are they going to do with these lists?” asked an anonymous federal employee.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing over 800,000 federal workers, swiftly condemned the directive:
“This demand is cruel and disrespectful to veterans and dedicated federal employees. We will fight any unlawful terminations.”
Potential Implications for Federal Workers
While the email didn’t explicitly threaten job losses, many workers fear that the request could be a precursor to workforce reductions, particularly following Trump’s statements about making government “smaller and more efficient.”
Musk’s leadership at DOGE has already aligned with Trump’s broader agenda by initiating efforts to reduce federal positions across various agencies. The latest move raises concerns that these accomplishment reports could be used to identify employees targeted for layoffs.
Union Advises Caution Amid Uncertainty
Unions, including AFSCME and AFGE, have advised federal employees to wait for further instructions from their direct supervisors, emphasizing that DOGE does not hold command authority over federal agencies:
“Federal employees should hold off until they hear from their leadership. DOGE is not part of the official chain of command,” said an AFSCME representative.
