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Federal Workers Debate Buyout Offer    02/06 06:09

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thousands of miles from Elon Musk's office in the White 
House complex, a federal worker based in the Pacific Northwest is wondering 
whether to quit.

   Musk, one of President Donald Trump's most powerful advisers, has 
orchestrated an unprecedented financial incentive for people to leave their 
government jobs, promising several months of pay in return for their 
resignation. The worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of 
retribution, wants to take the money and move overseas.

   But she's worried. What if the offer is too good to be true? What if this is 
really a covert effort to make a list of disloyal government employees?

   Her situation is a microcosm of the uncertainty sweeping through the federal 
government, which is the country's single largest employer. More than 2 million 
workers -- analysts, nurses, scientists, accountants, food inspectors and loan 
processors -- face a deadline of 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday to decide if they 
should leave.

   Trump administration is urging workers to take the deal

   The deferred resignation program is part of Trump's plan to remake the 
federal government, weakening what allies describe as the "deep state" that 
undermined the Republican president during his first term. Administration 
officials said they can save taxpayer money by presenting employees with "a 
valuable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to stop working while still 
collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30.

   On Wednesday, the administration ramped up its pressure on employees to 
leave, sending a reminder that layoffs or furloughs could come next.

   "The majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through 
restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force," said the message from 
the Office of Personnel Management, which has been a nexus of Musk's efforts to 
downsize the government.

   The email said anyone who remains will be expected to be "loyal" and "will 
be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move 
forward." Some employees could be reclassified to limit civil service 
protections as well.

   "Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be 
prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including 
termination," the email said.

   Democrats and unions warn that workers could be stiffed

   Democrats said workers shouldn't accept the deferred resignation program 
because it wasn't authorized by Congress, raising the risk they won't get paid. 
Unions have sued to stop Trump's plans, and a judge will consider whether to 
block the buyout offer at a hearing Thursday afternoon in Boston.

   "It's a scam and not a buyout," said Everett Kelley, president of the 
American Federation of Government Employees.

   Kelley said he tells workers that "if it was me, I wouldn't do it."

   An employee at the Department of Education, who also spoke on condition of 
anonymity out of fear of retaliation, said the administration appeared 
desperate to get people to sign the agreement. However, she said there were too 
many red flags, such as a clause waiving the right to sue if the government 
failed to honor its side of the deal.

   The deal is 'exactly what it looks like,' says Trump official

   Trump put Musk, the world's richest man, in charge of the so-called 
Department of Government Efficiency, which is a sweeping initiative to reduce 
the size and scope of the federal government. The original email offering the 
deferred resignation program was titled "Fork in the road," echoing a similar 
message that Musk sent Twitter employees two years ago after he bought the 
social media platform.

   Trump administration officials have organized question-and-answer sessions 
with employees as the deadline approaches.

   Rachel Oglesby, the chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Education who 
previously worked at the America First Policy Institute, said Trump is trying 
to reduce the federal workforce.

   "I know there's been a lot of questions out there about whether it's real 
and whether it's a trick," she said, according to a recording obtained by The 
Associated Press. "And it's exactly what it looks like. It's one of the many 
tools that he's using to try to achieve the campaign promise to bring reform to 
the civil service and changes to D.C."

   The issue was also discussed during a meeting with Department of Agriculture 
employees, according to another recording obtained by the AP. Marlon 
Taubenheim, a human resources official, acknowledged that "these are very 
trying times" and "there's a lot of stress."

   "Unfortunately, we don't have all the answers," he said.

   Jacqueline Ponti-Lazaruk, another agency leader, said employees "probably 
didn't have the runway of time that you might have liked to make a 
life-changing decision."

   For those who remain, she said, "we'll just keep plugging along."

   Assurances from administration officials have not alleviated concerns across 
a range of agencies. Some federal workers said they did not trust the validity 
of the offers, doubting that Trump has the authority to disburse money. Others 
point to his record of stiffing contractors as a New York real estate mogul.

   Musk's plans spark demonstrations in Washington

   Scattered protests have sprung up outside federal buildings, including on 
Tuesday at the Office of Personnel Management.

   "I'm taking a risk and being bold and trying to get more federal workers to 
take a risk to speak out," said Dante O'Hara, who said he works for the 
government. "Because if we don't, then we're all going to lose our jobs and 
they're going to put all these loyalists or people that will be their shock 
troops."

   Government jobs have often been considered secure positions, but O'Hara said 
there's fear in the workforce. The sense from his colleagues is "I don't know 
if I'm going to be here tomorrow because, like, we don't know what's going to 
happen.'"

   Dan Smith, a Maryland resident whose father was a research scientist at the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, said federal workers are "so underappreciated 
and so taken for granted."

   "It's one thing to downsize the government. It's one thing to try to 
obliterate it," Smith said. "And that's what's going on. And that is what is so 
frightening and disgusting and requires pushback."

   Mary-Jean Burke, a physical therapist for the Department of Veterans Affairs 
in Indianapolis, said she's worried that too many people will leave, 
jeopardizing health care services.

   Burke, who also serves as a union official, said doubts have also been 
growing over whether to take the offer.

   "Originally, I think people were like, 'I'm out of here,'" she said. But 
then they saw a social media post from DOGE, which said employees can "take the 
vacation you always wanted, or just watch movies and chill, while receiving 
your full government pay and benefits."

   The message backfired because "that kind of thing sounded a little bit too 
good to be true and people were hesitant," Burke said.

   Either way, she said, Trump has achieved his apparent goal of shaking up the 
federal workforce.

   "Every day, it's something," Burke said. "If he signed up to be a disrupter, 
he's doing it."

 
 
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