Washington: The Trump administration has directed U.S. federal government employees to submit a summary of their work accomplishments from the previous week by Monday night or risk termination. The directive, communicated via emails on Saturday evening, follows an announcement by Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), emphasizing compliance with the request.
“All federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2025
Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.
Musk’s statement came just hours after President Donald Trump urged DOGE to intensify efforts to streamline the federal workforce, which currently comprises approximately 2.3 million employees. Trump’s call for aggressive downsizing was made on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Emails Sent Across Federal Agencies
By Saturday evening, emails with the subject line “What did you do last week?” had been dispatched to employees across multiple federal agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The email, reviewed by Reuters, instructs employees to respond with five bullet points summarizing their weekly work accomplishments and to copy their managers. Sent from a human resources email address affiliated with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the message gives employees until 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday to comply.
Elon said all federal employees must report what they accomplished last week or risk being fired. He set a deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET Monday https://t.co/TzYOb54v3i pic.twitter.com/kGR9YLfUEF
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 23, 2025
Legal Uncertainty and Federal Judiciary Involvement
It remains unclear on what legal grounds Musk can enforce terminations based on non-compliance with this request. Additionally, concerns arise regarding employees handling confidential or classified work, as they may face limitations in detailing their tasks.
Notably, some federal judiciary employees also received the email, despite the court system being outside the executive branch. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts had yet to comment on the situation.
Employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were similarly instructed to report their work. However, with most agency staff under an existing order barring them from performing tasks since earlier this month, the request presents a challenge. Furthermore, a temporary court order is currently preventing mass firings within the agency pending ongoing legal proceedings.
A spokesperson for DOGE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Union Pushback Against Mass Firings
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union representing federal workers, has vowed to challenge any unlawful dismissals.
“Once again, Elon Musk and the Trump administration have shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley in a statement.
The Trump administration’s rapid and often contentious push to cut government spending by reducing the federal workforce—led by Musk and his aides at DOGE—has resulted in disorderly layoffs. The abrupt job cuts have already led to significant errors, forcing agencies to rehire critical personnel in sectors such as nuclear safety, defense, and power generation.
The initial phase of dismissals targeted employees with lower levels of job protection, such as probationary hires or those recently reassigned within agencies. However, the indiscriminate approach has also resulted in the termination of individuals whose salaries are not taxpayer-funded. The backlash is growing, with concerns mounting over the impact of widespread federal job losses on local economies and essential services.
While Trump has publicly referred to Musk as the operational head of DOGE, the White House clarified in a recent court filing that Musk has no formal authority over the department and is not an official employee.
Federal Agencies Respond with Caution
In response to the directive, some federal agencies issued follow-up emails advising employees to withhold responses while they verify the legitimacy of the request. An internal email sent to NOAA employees described the directive as “irregular, unexpected, and warranting further validation by management.”
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Similarly, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys issued a memo urging employees to delay their responses until further guidance is provided.
Outrage Among Federal Employees
Many federal employees, already reeling from two weeks of mass firings, expressed frustration and anger after receiving the email.
“After more than two decades of working in federal service, which includes all outstanding performance reviews and something like 18 performance awards, someone at OPM is going to read my five bullets and decide if I’m productive enough?” said one federal employee.
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As the deadline approaches, uncertainty remains over the enforcement of the directive and potential legal battles surrounding Musk’s role in federal workforce reductions.
