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Federal Worker RTO and Buyout Offers


Anastasis

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The arbitrariness of this seems idiotic. How can they prevent really important personnel from taking the offer and less important ones hanging around? Surely a scheme like this should be more targeted.
In the past I would have assumed I just didn't know the details and surely more thought was put into this behind the scenes...but these days who can say?

That sounds like a lot of work. Just release all 1600 prisoners.
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This is a Musk email and project (there are allegations that his team set up their own server at the Office of Personnel Management).  The bottom line is that this is a trap and it’s hard to see why an employee should jump at it. 
 

- This is not a buyout. There are no lump sums coming.  Employees are still employees, they are just on administrative leave till 30 September. 
 

- Per the FAQs I’ve seen posted publicly, it’s up to each agency whether or not employees on admin leave will be allowed to take other jobs.  Certainly for lots of specialties and professions, there will be laws and regulations preventing you from moving into the private or contracting sector if you’re still on admin leave at an agency.  I’d expect private employers and fed contractors to be wary about letting “resignees” start work in fields touching their current roles.  So you might as well job hunt while still working. 
 

- You can still be fired or disciplined while on admin leave.  You’re still an employee.  You’re relying on Musk and Project 2025 not to ratfuck you. 
 

- So many agency and role specific questions that didn’t get answered because this wasn’t coordinated. For instance— are clearances pulled if you have one?  If you’re on deck for an admin or scheduled promotion does that happen? 
 

Bottom line, it would be really dumb to accept this before an actual agency weighed in to walk through the specifics of their own situation. And I won’t be surprised if some court knocks this down and the resignees are just fucked. 

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51 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

They don’t care if important personnel to leave. They don’t want them there. But getting them to leave voluntarily, they can replace them with loyalists and it reduces any lawsuits they’d face from wrongful termination of some sort. several people have said this is illegal. 
 

now if they don’t pay the severance, I don’t know what happens. 
 

 

There’s no severance pay.  The offer is just to stay on payroll and get reassigned to admin leave or no duties.  There’s some vague statements that a resignation date can be effective before 30 September but they make it clear that you’re still officially an employee.  
 

Should also note that any employee on administrative leave can have that canceled and be told to come back at any time.  Again— you’re really putting faith in this system to not ratfuck you if you accept. 

 

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Relying on any GOP members, besides a few old fossils in the Senate, to do anything is just delusional.

Hell at this point I am just hoping a few Democrats do something. They should be screaming out every damn stupid ass thing Trump does and sounding the alarm. Instead they seem to just sort...sit there and watch.

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2 hours ago, HOOKEM4 said:

What is your opinion on this action. Do you think it will benefit the country as a whole? 

Seems like a simple yes or no question.

2 hours ago, Anastasis said:

To the topic, 28 weeks is a pretty generous package, better than most in the private sector would get. It's not gonna make sense for a lot of people, but for the younger folks I know of a few personally that will be able to jump to the private sector with ease. They were already heading that direction based on the RTO order without the juice of a severance package. I think you will see a short term brain drain of the most capable talent, esp younger talent that isn't near retirement.  

 

Screenshot_20250128-203223.png

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19 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

Relying on any GOP members, besides a few old fossils in the Senate, to do anything is just delusional.

Hell at this point I am just hoping a few Democrats do something. They should be screaming out every damn stupid ass thing Trump does and sounding the alarm. Instead they seem to just sort...sit there and watch.

What’s screaming going to do? No one cares. America doesn’t care. 

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  1. Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.
     

3rd world loyalty tests.

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1 hour ago, pacman said:

 

 

Right. I think that RTO policy alone would have similar impact, but probably not to the same extent. I have not seen a blanket buy out offer in corporate world, only early retirement offers. But those had the same effect, good contributors that otherwise would have stuck around at least a few more years just took the payouts and popped up somewhere else in a few months. People that were very close to retirement took it almost universally. But that was the strategy they used to shake the tree before going down the RIF cascade.   

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14 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Things are going well.

 

 

 

Yeah, agencies are going to flip out and that’s why this is happening before most cabinet members are confirmed and in the chair.  OPM isn’t really “HR” for the whole government and even if there are layoffs and workforce restructuring OPM  advises and does some back office stuff. But agencies decide where the cuts should go and have their own RIF procedures and want to be thoughtful.  Even the MAGA set realizes that people and resources are power and they are going to want to help control that process. 
 

Elon has a limited time period to break shit and he’s doing that and will not own the consequences.  It would be super dumb to reply that you accept the offer before your actual employer walks through what this means. 

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Oh yeah and here is the guidance to agency heads.  A special treat is that agencies can exempt positions from being eligible for this shit, but of course since this wasn’t coordinated no one knows which jobs aren’t actually eligible. It would be super fucking awkward to say you’re resigning only to be told that “actually….that offer didn’t apply for you.”

 

https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM Guidance Memo re Deferred Resignation Program 1-28-2025.pdf 

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4 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Oh yeah and here is the guidance to agency heads.  A special treat is that agencies can exempt positions from being eligible for this shit, but of course since this wasn’t coordinated no one knows which jobs aren’t actually eligible. It would be super fucking awkward to say you’re resigning only to be told that “actually….that offer didn’t apply for you.”

 

https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM Guidance Memo re Deferred Resignation Program 1-28-2025.pdf 

Couple blurbs in the FAQ related to moving to outside employment and/or future government employment. 

Q:  Can employees get another job outside of their current employing agency during the period between submission of their resignation and the final resignation date? A:  Nothing in the deferred resignation letter prevents agency employees from seeking outside employment during the period from submittal of their resignation to their final resignation date.  Employing agencies should assess what restrictions, if any, exist for employees who have resigned but remain employed (including on administrative leave) by their employing agency.   

Q:  Can employees return to work in the federal government? A:  Deferred resignation does not affect employees’ ability to apply to work for the federal government in the future. 

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4 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

My wife, a fed, pointed out two things:

-the maximum legal buyout for a federal employee is $25,000, and...

-there is no money budgeted for the federal government through September 30.  The government is working on a CR that will expire in March. So, legally, money cannot be promised or committed by the administration through that date, because once again, Congress controls the purse.

 

 

 

 

This was my immediate reaction under what authority does the executive branch have to make this directive?  
 

Where is the funding?

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6 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

This was my immediate reaction under what authority does the executive branch have to make this directive?  
 

Where is the funding?

 

trump will simply hand them a piece of paper with their payout amount in trump coin !

 

Village People Dancing GIF by de chinezen

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Just now, DDD Dad said:

This was my immediate reaction under what authority does the executive branch have to make this directive?  
 

Where is the funding?

As you work through it…it’s not a buyout, they are keeping people on payrolls and in employed status, just not requiring work. 

AND…..there is a federal law that employees will get back pay even if the government shuts down due to a lack of funding. 

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39 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

 

  1. Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.
     

3rd world loyalty tests.

It’s “comprise” not “be comprised of” - fucking idiots.

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4 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

As you work through it…it’s not a buyout, they are keeping people on payrolls and in employed status, just not requiring work. 

AND…..there is a federal law that employees will get back pay even if the government shuts down due to a lack of funding. 

So smoke and mirrors. Got it. 

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NEW: The memo sent to government employees this evening offering them buyouts very closely mirrors an email Musk sent to Twitter employees in 2022 — down to the same subject line "A Fork in the Road."

The 2022 email tells Twitter employees, "Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade."

Compare that to memo: "The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level..."

And another similarity: in the same way the OPM memo requires employees to only respond "Resign" to the email to seal the deal, Musk asked Twitter employees to "click yes on the link below" if they wanted to stay on at Twitter.

"Whatever decision you make, thank you for your efforts to make Twitter successful," Musk wrote in 2022.

And this evening, the closing message to government employees by OPM: "Whichever path you choose, we thank you for your service to The United States of America."

 

 

I change my question, who the fuck gave that nazi musk the authority to put out this kind of offer ????

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40 minutes ago, Foosters said:

I mean, it is. Go watch MSNBC. About 8 years of this every night. Follow all of those politician's social media accounts. Watch their speeches on the house floor. Hell, the DNC was 3 nights of describing the impact Project 2025 would have.

America doesn't care.

 

 

This. It's all incredibly unsurprising except to those that wish to be ignorant.  "I don't listen to politics"- well here you go: pay attention now. We warned you.

 

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18 minutes ago, Dontshootrude said:

If you want me out offer me a real buyout or fire me.  I'm certainly not resigning and giving up my 17 years of federal service because of a strongly worded email.

Seems very reasonable that there should be recognition for years of service and the pension value that an employee would be walking on in the offer. 

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Just now, Anastasis said:

Seems very reasonable that there should be recognition for years of service and the pension value that an employee would be walking on in the offer. 

Exactly. And there isn't. If I quit today I'd get 17% of my pay in 20 years.  If I stay on and go to 60 I would get 40% of my future salary which would include a bunch of COLA increases and potentially a grade increase or two.  When it's all said and done my pension would be 20% of what it would be if I just stay. 

 

And that's not figuring in health insurance, and giving that up would be a bad move too.  

 

So basically this isn't an offer. If I were 60+ and were retiring this year anyway I might take it, but as other posters have said there is no guarantee they will actually deliver the token bullshit they are promising.  

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13 minutes ago, Dontshootrude said:

Exactly. And there isn't. If I quit today I'd get 17% of my pay in 20 years.  If I stay on and go to 60 I would get 40% of my future salary which would include a bunch of COLA increases and potentially a grade increase or two.  When it's all said and done my pension would be 20% of what it would be if I just stay. 

 

And that's not figuring in health insurance, and giving that up would be a bad move too.  

 

So basically this isn't an offer. If I were 60+ and were retiring this year anyway I might take it, but as other posters have said there is no guarantee they will actually deliver the token bullshit they are promising.  

Employees also generally don’t get the agency matching contribution to their TSP (a government version of a 401k or Texas’ TRS) if they are on admin leave. Unless that is tweaked, this offer comes with a five percent pay cut along with any investment returns you’d have gotten. 

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4 hours ago, Foosters said:

I mean, it is. Go watch MSNBC. About 8 years of this every night. Follow all of those politician's social media accounts. Watch their speeches on the house floor. Hell, the DNC was 3 nights of describing the impact Project 2025 would have.

America doesn't care.

 

 

bothsides amirite?

 

politics, pfffffffffffffft!!! 

they're ALL the same!! gummint exists only to line the pockets of the rich politicians!

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The fed employees are given 1 week to decide. First red flag. Then they’re told to sign up, and just stop working. Sounds like grounds for firing them if they stop working.

and let’s think what occurs when Trump and Elon refuse to pay? Perhaps somewhere down the line they will receive pay by court order or from a sympathetic Congress and President, but Trump still wins.

His project 2025 goal is to drastically reduce the size of govt. he doesn’t care if it harms people or ultimately costs more money. They’re gone.

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8 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

The fed employees are given 1 week to decide. First red flag. Then they’re told to sign up, and just stop working. Sounds like grounds for firing them if they stop working.

and let’s think what occurs when Trump and Elon refuse to pay? Perhaps somewhere down the line they will receive pay by court order or from a sympathetic Congress and President, but Trump still wins.

His project 2025 goal is to drastically reduce the size of govt. he doesn’t care if it harms people or ultimately costs more money. They’re gone.

Early on during the first term, Bannon stated their goal was to "dismantle the administrative state." I guess that phrase can be interpreted in various ways, but this is more than simply reducing the size of government to save tax dollars/increase efficiency.

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11 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Early on during the first term, Bannon stated their goal was to "dismantle the administrative state." I guess that phrase can be interpreted in various ways, but this is more than simply reducing the size of government to save tax dollars/increase efficiency.

Yep. When Elon fires 3/4 of Twitter, it doesn’t matter if the site is slow or the search function stops working. He can always look to fix it later or not fix it. If you dump federal employees, who knows the consequences. Social security payment didn’t show up? Theres 50k people in the queue in front of you so we will get to it in a year. Your fault for being poor.

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10 hours ago, Foosters said:

I mean, it is. Go watch MSNBC. About 8 years of this every night. Follow all of those politician's social media accounts. Watch their speeches on the house floor. Hell, the DNC was 3 nights of describing the impact Project 2025 would have.

America doesn't care.

 

 

 

Has Project 2025 ever been mentioned on Fox News?

If not, half of America hasn't even heard of it.

 

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Fine with me, the senate and electoral college are permanently rigged to maga states so just shut the federal government down for all I care. And lol at anyone who thinks this lying fuckstain has any intention of paying as promised. His business approach is well documented. Of course people like Ana think it’s normal and just an economic question, let’s just ignore the banana republic fealty requirement.

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2 hours ago, bolverk said:

The fed employees are given 1 week to decide.

Interesting.  In the private sector, you have 45 days to consider and seven days to revoke after signature if over 40 IF you are also signing a release. (OWBPA)

I week to decide but don't have to sign a release.  That doesn't seem like a problem.

Whether the program is funded properly or legal is a separate issue.

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25 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Fired for lack of loyalty to the regime. Totally normal for a modern western democracy.

Loss of trust is a perfectly acceptable non-discriminatory business reason to terminate someone.

When it's based on a legitimate belief in conduct which reflects the same.  

We will see what the new standard is. 

 

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