Trump administration offers buyout to federal employees after RTO mandate
Photo by Tom Fisk
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced it was offering buyouts to federal employees who didn’t want to return to the office.
This announcement came a week after President Trump issued an Executive Order mandating federal workers return to the office full time. Federal employees will receive eight months of pay and benefits in exchange for their “deferred resignation.” The deadline to opt in to the buyout is Feb 6th.
The Hill reported, “The buyouts are available to all full-time federal employees, excluding military personnel, U.S. Postal Service workers and positions related to immigration enforcement and national security.”
The buyout offer also included a warning that those who do not accept it will not have their jobs guaranteed. Part of the memo read, “If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.”
Fork in the road
The buyout was cast as an option for federal workers who did not wish to return to the office. Reportedly, the administration estimates that 5% to 10% of federal employees will take the offer. Administration officials also estimate it will result in savings of $100 billion a year.
The message was titled “Fork in the Road” and instructed federal employees to use their government email account to send an email with the word “Resign” in the subject line.
The buyout offer comes amid a larger push by the Trump administration to cut costs and reduce the size of the federal government. Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, has been a proponent of return to office mandates. In a post on X, Musk said the buyout offer was “very generous.”
