Elon Musk‘s plan for a federal workforce reduction is being met with resistance from various agencies, who are refusing to comply with his demands that workers justify their positions to retain their employment.
Musk announced via his social media platform X that employees of the federal government were to reply by midnight on Monday to an email sent by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Subject line of the email was “What Did You Do Last Week?” This sparked an immediate debate. The deadline was imposed, but a large number of federal employees ignored the order, following the instructions from their supervisors, who considered compliance voluntary.
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The Department of Health and Human Services, in an email sent to employees on Monday, stated explicitly that “there is no HHS expectation” that HHS staff respond to OPM. It also reassured staff that their employment would not be affected if they chose to ignore the OPM request initiated by Musk.
The Department of Commerce also instructed employees to send their supervisors a brief summary of their job duties, limited to no more than five bullet points. Noteworthy, this email had a very specific directive: “You do not have to copy the other recipients for the time being,” indicating that the intention was to keep the Federal Personnel Management Office out of direct communication.
State Department and other federal agencies sent similar instructions to staff before the Monday deadline. Musk’s efforts to reform the federal bureaucracy by launching the Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative that aims at streamlining government, have been severely hampered.
A number of unions that represent federal employees intervened as well, and advised their members not to comply with Musk’s demand made through the Office of Personnel Management.
Everett Kelley is the president of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union that represents approximately 800,000. He has expressed strong opposition. Kelley, in a letter to OPM’s legal department, argued that Musk’s email was “plainly illegal” and questioned its basis. In a formal letter addressed to OPM, Kelley asserted that Musk’s email is “plainly unlawful,” questioning its legal basis.
Elon Musk, undeterred by mounting criticism, reiterated his request on Monday night via a message on X. He said that those who did not meet the original deadline will be given “another opportunity.”
Musk warned that failure to answer a second question would result in termination, signalling a strong stance regarding compliance with the federal workplace assessment.
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OPM sent a second communication to federal agencies on Monday reminding them of the approaching deadline. This added confusion. The memo contained a clause that allowed agencies to exclude personnel at their own discretion from the expectation, creating confusion about who is explicitly expected to follow the request. Office of Personnel Management’s position highlights the complexity of implementing directives of this magnitude across federal agencies.
On Monday, the former President Trump expressed his support for Musk’s call that federal employees meticulously describe their duties.
“What he’s doing is saying, ‘Are you actually working?'” Trump spoke to reporters at the Oval Office. Further, he said, “If they don’t answer you are fired or semi-fired because there’s a lot people who don’t know that you exist.” Trump was echoing his concerns regarding government inefficiencies and redundancies.
As DOGE continues to face challenges as it tries to cut government positions and streamline its funding, the controversy around Elon Musk’s demands is escalating. These efficiency measures have been debated due to concerns about the potential impact on government services. Critics are also concerned with the long-term effects of workforce reductions.
Over 20 DOGE employees (Department of Government Efficiency), citing their refusal to “dismantle crucial public services”, resigned on Wednesday, adding to the chaos. The agency had been focusing its efforts since Trump took office. This mass resignation is a reflection of internal discontent regarding the direction taken by DOGE and how it will impact essential government functions.