On Saturday, staff all through the federal authorities obtained an electronic mail from the Workplace of Personnel Administration (OPM), demanding a reply with “approx. 5 bullets of what you achieved final week.” On X, Elon Musk posted that failure to reply “shall be taken as a resignation.” The outcome? Confusion, chaos, and resentment amongst a federal workforce that more and more feels beneath assault.
“So fucking dumb,” says one air site visitors controller who obtained the e-mail and was granted anonymity for worry of retribution.
Leaders of many businesses seem to have been caught off guard. On the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which homes the Nationwide Climate Service, some managers initially cautioned in opposition to replying to the e-mail in case it was a phishing try. One other NOAA worker says they had been cautioned to not log onto their work electronic mail after receiving it.
Different employees had been met with conflicting steerage from their managers. On the Nationwide Institute of Requirements and Expertise, which is anticipating deep cuts orchestrated by the so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), some staff reported being advised to await additional steerage whereas others say their managers instructed individuals to conform.
The e-mail seems to have been despatched even to federal judges. “We perceive that some judges and judiciary workers have obtained an electronic mail from HR@opm.gov,” learn an electronic mail from the director’s workplace of the Division of Administrative Providers for US Federal Courts. “Please be suggested that this electronic mail didn’t originate from the Judiciary or the Administrative Workplace and we propose that no motion be taken.”
A minimum of some navy personnel additionally obtained the e-mail, and have been advised to await steerage from the Division of Protection. That holding sample seems to be the response at most businesses, the place employees say they haven’t but heard from senior management if and the way they need to deal with this newest escalation in Musk and DOGE’s ongoing efforts to dramatically scale back the federal workforce. On the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, for example, in an electronic mail with the topic line “Please Await Steerage,” some employees had been advised that “data is forthcoming,” with none indication of when or from whom.
One other consideration for a lot of will not be solely whether or not they need to reply, however how. Whereas the OPM electronic mail specified that staff shouldn’t ship categorised data, hyperlinks, or attachments, that severely limits how employees at many authorities businesses may be capable to reply.
“Nationwide safety workers are getting notified of OPM’s request, which is taking them from the essential work of making certain nationwide safety pursuits,” mentioned one supply, who was granted anonymity as a result of nature of their work. “These are important staff who preserve us secure.”
“The Government Committee is at present reviewing this request to find out applicable tips relating to what data may be shared exterior of the company,” reads an electronic mail from the Workplace of the Comptroller of the Forex, which sits throughout the Treasury Division. “Please wait for extra steerage.”
NBC Information reported Saturday that even Kash Patel, the newly put in Federal Bureau of Investigation director and shut ally of President Donald Trump, has instructed staff not to answer the OPM electronic mail.
