WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to purge the federal workforce of non-partisan civil servants, the Trump Administration is trying to pressure federal workers into taking a “deferred resignation” buyout, which would mean they agree to resign almost immediately but could supposedly get paid – with no guarantee – through September.  Using the classic ‘pressure sales’ tactic, the e mail urges workers to act fast now: the Trump Administration set a deadline of February 6.

As of December 2024, Rhode Island had 8,439 federal civilian employees, many helping our military, according to the Congressional Research Service.  Nationwide, the federal government employs approximately 2.3 million civilians.  And according to the Brookings Institution: “Federal civilian employment has stayed the same since the mid-1960s, even as the U.S. population has grown by 68%.”

U.S. Senator Jack Reed is warning local federal workers that the Trump Administration’s offer may not be what it seems and taking it would be a huge risk.  Reed is urging civil servants to carefully weigh their options before making a decision.

“This risky offer is simply not credible and fails to offer any guarantee.  Trump has a long, well-known history of stiffing workers and anyone who thinks his administration will stick to the terms of this e mail could be in for a rude awakening.  Congress, not the president, has the power of the purse.  President Trump has zero authority to pay a single federal employee beyond March 14th unless Congress passes a new appropriations law.  Moreover, blindly cutting the workforce like this and culling it of experienced employees could create new, costly problems down the road while reducing services for taxpayers.  I would urge federal workers to focus on their jobs and continue serving the American people and the Constitution.  Administrations routinely change every four years, but the Constitution and responsibilities of civil servants remains steadfast,” said Senator Reed. 

In an e mail from the Office of Personnel Management, with the subject line “Fork in the Road,” federal employees interested in resigning were instructed to leave their positions by replying to the e mail with a one word subject line: “resign.”  The e mail, which echoed language similar to that of a previous e mail Elon Musk sent to his former Twitter employees, also suggested the majority of federal agencies would likely be downsized and that a substantial number of federal employees would be furloughed.

Notably, OPM’s website clearly states there is a $25,000 limit for incentive packages for voluntary resignations, not eight months’ pay.  Moreover, some federal employees can’t even be offered Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP).  The OPM email suggests the Trump Administration will try to get around this is by defining the process as “deferred resignation” and implying workers won’t necessarily have to work while sitting getting paid for several months – far from a legal guarantee.

In the past, Donald Trump has bragged about his businesses not paying workers what they are owed and stiffing contractors for their labor resulting in hundreds of lawsuits, many for unpaid wages.  According to U.S. Department of Labor data, Trump’s companies have also been cited for two dozen violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act since 2005.

Reed noted that if Trump carries out his anti-worker polices, purges the federal government of civil servants, and follows through on its ‘DOGE’ pledge to slash $2 trillion in spending, average Americans are the ones who would suffer from both lack of essential services and weakened job protections potentially spreading into other sectors of the economy.