The Trump administration began offering buyouts for federal employees Tuesday who agree to resign by Feb. 6, according to multiple outlets, making the offer in an effort to reduce the federal workforce he recently ordered to return to in-person work.
The offer became effective Tuesday. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The buyout was detailed in an email sent by the Office of Personnel Management to employees, the Associated Press reported, noting the memo said the offer is effective Tuesday through Feb. 6.
The government-wide program allows for deferred resignations that must be agreed to by Feb. 6 and exempts employees “from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30,” according to the AP.
The program was described by the Office of Personnel Management “as administrative leave with pay and benefits,” according to Axios, which added the White House expects 5% to 10% of federal employees to accept the offer.
Axios noted full-time federal employees are eligible for the offer while those working in the military, Postal Service, immigration enforcement or national security are not.
The White House also expects up to $100 billion in savings if the expected amount of federal workers take the buyout, according to multiple outlets.
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Over 3 million not accounting active-duty military personnel, according to the Pew Research Center. If the White House’s estimation of how many employees will take the buyout is accurate, that could mean anywhere from 15,000 to hundreds of thousands of employees will exit the federal workforce.
The buyout offer follows Trump’s executive action ordering all federal employees return to in-person work five days per week. Trump, alongside tech billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, has sought to reduce and consolidate federal agencies in an effort to cut down on what he considered wasteful spending on the part of former President Joe Biden. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, claimed in a report last year that just 6% of federal workers conduct in-person work while one-third work remotely. However, the Office of Management and Budget has said 54% of civilians employed by federal agencies already work in person, with about 10% solely working remotely.
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