Shortly after the Trump administration took office, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent an email to millions of federal employees, urging them to either accept significant workplace changes or resign. A senior official indicated to NBC News that they anticipated a resignation rate of 5% to 10% among federal workers.
However, the OPM’s efforts fell short of expectations. Instead of the anticipated number, approximately 75,000 employees, or about 3.75% of the federal workforce, accepted the buyout offer. Notably, the attrition rate for federal employees was reported at 5.9% in 2023, raising questions about how many of these resignations were part of normal retirement or voluntary departures.
Trump’s approach to reducing the federal workforce appears to be a trial-and-error strategy.
On Thursday, the administration shifted its strategy to mass firings of probationary employees. With an estimated 200,000 federal workers currently on probationary status, this tactic could significantly reduce the workforce.
It is becoming increasingly clear that Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal government resemble a haphazard strategy of trial and error. While it remains uncertain how effective these measures will be, it is evident that the intent is not to enhance efficiency or productivity. Instead, it appears that Trump and his ally Elon Musk are aggressively cutting the workforce without considering its operational integrity.
The OPM’s initial resignation offer not meeting its target may indicate how federal employees perceived Trump’s agenda. The email presented a «deferred resignation» option, allowing employees to resign while receiving pay through September. Those who chose to stay were warned of impending downsizing, a new «performance culture,» and «enhanced standards of conduct.»
However, this offer may have seemed questionable to many. Federal employee unions characterized the offer as coercive, suggesting it pressured members to leave based on vague threats. Unions raised concerns about the legality of OPM’s guidance and doubted the administration’s commitment to fulfilling its promises. Legal experts also expressed skepticism regarding the administration’s ability to honor its payment commitments to departing employees.
Warning signs indicated that the deferred resignation offer was poorly conceived or potentially misleading. According to NBC News, employees in at least one agency, the Education Department, were informed that accepting the resignation package could be revoked by the education secretary, leaving them without the promised compensation.
This situation suggests that some federal workers may have been interested in the offer but hesitant to accept it. Conversely, there may have been employees planning to retire in 2025 who felt they had nothing to lose by taking the offer. Additionally, some workers may have felt a sense of duty toTomado de https://feeds.nbcnews.com/msnbc/public/news
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