Around 75,000 federal employees accepted President Donald Trump’s buyout offer, which has now closed to new applicants. This represents about 3.3% of the federal government’s 2.3 million workers, lower than the White House’s projections of 5% to 10%. A federal judge in Massachusetts lifted a pause on the program earlier in the day, allowing the Trump administration to proceed with the buyouts. The offer, known as “Fork in the Road,” promised eight months of pay and benefits to federal employees through September in exchange for their immediate resignation. However, Democrats warned federal workers not to trust the deal as funding for the federal government is only guaranteed until March 14.
Federal employees who choose to remain in the government are required to return to in-person work and face new performance standards. The buyouts are part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative aimed at cutting spending and streamlining the federal bureaucracy. The Trump administration has indicated that furloughs and layoffs may occur if not enough federal workers accept the buyouts.
President Trump signed an executive order instructing federal departments and agencies to plan for large-scale reductions in force, with layoffs already beginning at the General Services Administration. The overall goal of the buyouts is to reduce the size of the federal workforce and increase efficiency.
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