more on the federal government’s “deferred resignation” offer (spoiler: it’s definitely a trap)

by Alison Green on February 5, 2025

Just sharing this tweet from Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein about Elon Musk’s “deferred resignation” offer for federal government workers. (Don’t take it! It’s still a trap.)A federal worker sent me audio of a call that HR did today with staff about "deferred resignation" agreements offered by DOGE ... I think this is pretty well understood by now but helps confirm what many suspect The audio goes: Employee: Lets say I accept the agreement tomorrow - you were to rescind the agreement and they were to stop paying me on Friday ... we would have no recourse available? HR official: Yes ... as the agreement is outlined that is absolutely correct

Also, if you remember the letter-writer who worked at Twitter when Elon Musk took over, that same person has sent in this note:

I just wanted to thank you for posting about what federal workers who are currently under attack can do.

The former Twitter employees I know have all spent the past couple of weeks reliving the Twitter takeover from 2 years ago but on a much more widespread and terrible scale. I want to say this is all beyond belief but … we saw this happen and how it played out, and now I’m just left feeling so angry that we couldn’t have stopped this somehow. I don’t know what I could have done differently or better, but I feel the burden of watching this happen the first time around and not being able to stop it.

Seeing the news about how Elon locked government workers out of their systems, how they’re moving beds into OPM’s headquarters … It feels like the Twilight Zone.

I would not at all be surprised if he held a public auction in the next couple weeks to sell off real estate, office equipment … all the way down to artwork on the walls and plants on employee desks.

I’m still thinking about how I can help push back on and resist what we’re seeing happen all around us, and I wanted to say that if you ever do another post on this issue, please let the federal workers know that a whole bunch of former Twitter employees know what they’re going through, and we support them, and we’re so so sorry they’re experiencing this.

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  1. Goldenrod*

    I’m glad there are still some great reporters like Jeff Stein at the Washington Post!

    A day or so earlier, they published an absolutely horrifying article that was basically like “weighing the pros and cons” of the offer, as if it were a real offer, and not a total scam/trick.

    Also, thank you to the LW at Twitter. I was thinking exactly the same thing (without having to experience it from within at Twitter). It’s playing out the same way. It’s terrifying. It’s disorienting. What is going on?? Our country is being demolished right under our eyes.

    Reply ↓
    1. Aggretsuko*

      To be fair to WaPo, I’ve definitely seen some “it’s a scam” articles, particularly from Michelle Singletary. And Annie Duke has a “here’s how to make decisions in general” article.

      Reply ↓
      1. Falling Diphthong*

        I think there is a deep problem, at the Post and other legacy media, with the framing “Everything must be an equal and opposite contest between two equal options: equally truthful, equally rational, equally sincere. We just report what we’re told People Are Saying about those two things.”

        It’s completely unsuited to “Side A says the sun rises in the east, while Side B says it will burst out of the floor of the next room, drawn by blood crazed weasels demanding a sacrifice.” (Frankly, the legacy media is annoyed that Side A can’t jazz up their presentation, maybe add some deviant space cabbages with lasers.)

        Reply ↓
        1. ragazza*

          Yes, I canceled the Post after the editor spiked the Op-Ed board’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and owner Jeff Bezos tried to justify it. And the NYTimes isn’t much better, sorry to say. I know there are good reporters there but the management is obviously OK with all of this. Compare their coverage of Biden’s age to what is clearly a literal coup.

          Reply ↓
          1. Dulcinea47*

            I cancelled the times years ago after one too many “both sides are equal” articles. All of the mainstream media is guilty of it.

            Reply ↓
          2. Dasein9 (he/him)*

            Many of the top reporters who’ve left places like NYT and WaPo can be found on Substack. You can read for free. Many folks are picking one or two who cover the issues closest to them and supporting them directly instead of paying for subscriptions to legacy media.

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          3. Kali*

            Just this morning, NYT sent out their morning newsletter with “Remaking the Government” as the headline and the whole thing is phrased so lackadaisically that it feels like I’m losing my senses. “Oh, he’s completely changing everything because he feels like there’s lots that needs changing, but gosh, Congress is supposed to have power of the purse.” It’s maddening. I canceled my subscription years ago (in his first administration), but I get this newsletter and get mad almost every day.

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        2. post script*

          Unfortunately most media belongs to billionaires now. They have their own interests, which don’t include telling the truth or helping anyone but themselves.

          Reply ↓
          1. Falling Diphthong*

            When they write the history of this era, I suspect “So the billionaires took over both the mainstream media and the new social media” will turn out to have been a rather important step.

            Reply ↓
              2. Falling Diphthong*

                Literally yes.

                And the history will not have been actively formed by those saying “Well it’s all hopeless; no point doing anything.”

                Reply ↓
    2. tw1968*

      And all the other elected officials seem to be doing nothing to stop this??!? They seem to have forgotten they are “public servants”, not assistant robber barons.

      Reply ↓
      2. ThisOneWeirdTrick*

        Because it’s not the first time it’s happened. A friend is saying this is the best offer he’s ever seen in his 30 years. And for everyone saying “don’t trust it”, it wasn’t reliable before.

        So, expecting elected officials to stop something that happens every decade or so is unrealistic. Most of them have been around long enough to have crafted similar deals.

        Reply ↓
  2. frustrated worker*

    The whole thing is such a cluster. The Fork has changed several times in 8 days. At first, it was work until September 30, but you can work from home. Then it was you probably won’t have to work past February 6th, but you might. Then it was no one will have to work past February 6th. And now it is work until the end of February. They have gotten somewhat more professional in the last 2 days with a fake memorandum of agreement and not quite as insulting emails.

    Our department has no idea what is going on either. I believe them when they say that they are getting the info when we are. But today, we were told to consult an employment lawyer with questions about The Fork. So I guess we have 36 hours or so to do that.

    Reply ↓
      2. XX*

        Not just employment lawyers. I know an attorney who helps companies negotiate and bid on government contracts. He’s probably fielding lots of panicked phone calls from clients at the moment. He’s also supposed to retire soon so I bet he’s just loving the promise of more guaranteed work…

        Reply ↓
    2. SadandScared*

      It’s all meant to sow discord and chaos. And it’s working. the idea that you can just eliminate positions with no rhyme or reason and figure it out later is insanely awful.

      A considering a huge part of the Fed workforce is former military, that’s another layer of insult. We celebrate those who served in the military and then they continue to serve as a civilian, but suddenly they are all lazy incompetent bureaucrats. Imagine hearing that as a disabled veteran.

      Reply ↓
      1. Texan In Exile*

        A lot of the staff at the Milwaukee VA got a “resign or else” letter yesterday. They really really don’t care about veterans.

        Reply ↓
  3. Constance Lloyd*

    I keep looking for the open thread only to remember it’s still a few days away. Right now it seems like we could fill an entirely separate second one focused on federal workers and contractors. Chaos.

    Reply ↓
  4. Maleficent2026*

    As a current federal employee, I need someone to post an old Reddit thread or something so I have a guidebook for what to expect from my job in 2025.

    Reply ↓
  6. Putting the Dys in Dysfunction*

    Who would want to accept a pig in a poke from people with a long history of fraud, bullying and broken promises?

    Reply ↓
  7. Chocoholic*

    People need to be calling their senators and representatives to put pressure on them to stop these shenanigans. If you have republican representation, you should ask how they would feel about this going on if it were Hillary Clinton’s friends with this kind of access.

    Reply ↓
    1. A Cita*

      The 5 Calls app makes it super easy, even for those of us who are phone shy. There was a great reddit thread from a high level senate staffer laying out why calling (and face-to-face) is much more affective than letters, texts, emails, or social media call outs. And had some great advice for those who feel phone shy. They say call every single day, relentlessly. Links are moderated so I’ll post that in another comment for those who want to read it.

      Reply ↓
          1. ShanShan*

            Sigh.

            This debate (and the fact that I don’t know where I fall in it) is why I’ve pretty much been steering clear of social media lately.

            I think there are the people who understand the importance of trying and keeping up hope, and then there are the people who are furious that a lot of Democrats chose not to vote and want them to understand how big the consequences of that choice are going to be, and both groups are sort of right?

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            1. Oh brother*

              I am on team “who exactly is going to stop him? The courts? The DOJ??”

              I’m sure an impeachment will really stick a third time– AND be enforced!

              We need to arm ourselves and start rioting.

              Reply ↓
                1. ShanShan*

                  Like, the justice/separation of powers route might not work and the rioting route might not work but the one thing that definitely won’t work is wasting all our energy yelling about how another group’s method won’t work. Everyone should just try everything.

            2. Feral Humanist*

              I understand the nuances, but I think it is wholly counterproductive to come into a thread like this and tell people nothing matters.

              Reply ↓
    4. Insert Clever Name Here*

      Also, if you call their DC office number and get a busy signal or the voicemail is full, call their local office and leave the message there.

      And be nice to the poor staffer you talk to :)

      Reply ↓
    5. Texan In Exile*

      Just in case anyone else wants to just drop by their representative’s local office: Guess what unlike when your boss wants to see you, we as the boss have to make an appointment.

      Or at least that’s what the dozen or so of us who wanted to drop in on Ron Johnson’s Milwaukee office after lunch were told. (But they’re not answering the phones in the office.)

      Reply ↓
      1. metadata minion*

        I get how that’s frustrating, but yes, obviously you have to make an appointment? Especially if you want to talk to your actual Congressperson, who is probably not in the office at that particular moment.

        Reply ↓
  8. Exme*

    Anyone have a link to reporting about the Twitter employees not getting paid when they took the offer before?
    I 100% believe it, just haven’t read about that part before.

    Reply ↓
      1. Ashley*

        Is there a different article? This lawsuit wasn’t about folks who took the buyout, it was about folks laid off in the rounds of layoffs that took place after the buyout. My understanding is that the twitter buyout offered 2 months of severance and employees who took it got their severance as a lump sum at the end of the 2 months. Which is a hardship FOR SURE but not what this law suit is about.

        Reply ↓
  9. anon to protect my sib*

    My sib works for the feds (DOJ, federal courts). They downloaded and also printed out every document in their personnel file — performance reviews, payroll info, tax info etc. Everything. A lot of folks did — word went around and it seemed wise.

    Reply ↓
  10. SadandScared*

    The scariest part about all this is the people who are unconcerned by all this and are handwaving it away. This is no big deal, my company gets audited by outside entities every so often. He is just checking to see where all our money is going. He’s not going to do anything with our money, it’s not like he needs more money.

    Companies write up and fire employees for data breaches significantly smaller than this every day. The government and many companies operate on need to know for private data. Even if you have access, you should not be looking if you don’t need to know.

    I won’t even get into the irony of demanding the identities of his crew be respected and they not be publicly identified even as he frequently doxxes Federal employees information on his social media site. It’s insanity.

    Reply ↓
    2. FricketyFrack*

      It’s wild to me that some people are still trying to pretend this is just a totally normal way to find waste (which to them means every penny that might help someone). Yeah, agencies can be audited, and should be, but this is in no way an audit and it’s not even remotely comparable, but an awful lot of conservatives – and bots pretending to be conservatives – are either willfully ignorant or lying to everyone including themselves. Absolutely bananas.

      Reply ↓
      1. Charlotte Lucas*

        And they’re targeting agencies with very low budgets/incidences of fraud or waste.

        And who trusts a bunch of little boys (sorry – recent graduates from… high school?!) to even understand what an agency does and doesn’t need to spend money on?

        State governments rely on funding from various federal agencies. I am not sure if that is common knowledge.

        Reply ↓
        1. XX*

          My job is in transportation engineering. I’m currently working on the final permitting for some (extremely necessary for structural reasons) roadwork – it’s a project commissioned by the county, adhering to state requirements, but paid for by federal grant. Do people even understand how much of the road infrastructure is maintained out of the fed’s pocket? What happens if these jagoffs suspend all that funding or even try to claw back what’s already been sent out? The construction industry will see a major downturn.

          Reply ↓
      2. Anon For This*

        Yeah speaking as an auditor, that’s a LAUGHABLE comparison.

        All that “waste and fraud” language is complete bushwa as well, you can’t actually tell that without investigations. Rifling randomly through a budget tells you zilch. Pretending you found waste doing that tells me you’re either incompetent or lying.

        But I am well aware the average conservative commenter has no idea how any of this works, nor do they want to know.

        Reply ↓
  11. Table Settings on a Path*

    To the Twitter OP: I’m not a federal worker but am a DC native and many of my friends and loved ones are Feds. As soon as the fork email dropped, I found myself referring to and referring other people to your AAM letter because it was so useful for showing others how the game plan works.

    I’m really grateful for you speaking up and creating that resource for me and for my family. It may feel like a little thing, but for us having that knowledge of how the game works helped us immensely with making informed decisions and preparing (as best we can) for whatever comes next. Thank you.

    Reply ↓
  12. Someone Online*

    I work for state government, not the federal, but I want to emphasize – we truly do not care whether our leadership is republican or democrat. We just care that they are competent and enable us to be good at our jobs. It’s called public service for a reason; we want to serve the public.
    Solidarity to our federal friends. I am calling my elected officials (on my breaks!) every day advocating for you.

    Reply ↓
  13. Rebecca Fisher*

    My heart is breaking for all of the federal employees who were just doing their job, legally and ethically, and are now on the firing line. Partly because I am also a government employee. Though not federal (I work for a California county), I am on pins and needles, wondering how this will eventually play out as it rolls down the proverbial hill. Especially given just how much my state is adored by this new/old administration. (Inset eye roll here.) I’ve been doing this work for 30 years, and even during the recession and COVID, I was never truly scared of what may happen. My employer is already holding various training sessions with county counsel on what to do under certain circumstances (ICE agents at our sites, being asked/told to let someone in to our systems who does not have the authority to access sensitive information, etc.), based on what we’ve seen at the federal level in the last couple of weeks, but the question of what the next four years will actually look like — no one can really answer that. We don’t even know if we will have jobs, since a significant part of what we do is funded by some of the very federal agencies under attack. We just know it is going to be very, very bad. And we aren’t even a month in.

    Reply ↓
    1. Margaret Cavendish*

      That sounds awful and destabilizing – which of course is exactly the point. I’m so sorry you’re all going through this.

      Reply ↓
  15. JF*

    preaching to the choir here by quoting the amazing Maya Angelo “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

    do not fall for The Fork!

    Reply ↓
  16. Tradd*

    Good thought and hugs all your way.

    As a customs broker, I’m dealing almost daily with FDA Import/compliance personnel. Suddenly one or two of my regular contacts are not answering email. There is no outgoing auto message. I hope they are wise and don’t fall for the trap.

    Reply ↓
  17. Parenthesis Guy*

    I have a friend taking the buyout. Their department isn’t popular with remaining leadership and their agency is likely to get gutted. Realistically, they’d be fired sooner rather than later anyway.

    Some people in the government don’t have good options.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      If you wait to be fired/laid off, you’ll be eligible for unemployment, plus the contractually required government severance payments. If you quit, you could get nothing under the terms of this agreement.

      Reply ↓
      1. frustrated worker*

        The worry people have is that they will just not do the severance payments. And if you are newer, then you get a lot more paid out and health insurance is included (maybe).

        But I wouldn’t trust The Fork and I’m counting on severance if it comes to RIFs. I’d get somewhere around 30 weeks and I think there would be a lot of people who would go before me.

        Reply ↓
    3. Dr. QT*

      If they wait to be laid off, they will at least be eligible for unemployment. If they quit to take this offer, and then don’t actually get paid, they have nothing until whatever court case or arbitration gets settled.

      Reply ↓
    5. Someone Online*

      Reassure your friend that no reasonable hiring manager is going to hold getting fired from the federal government against them.

      Reply ↓
    6. One more thing*

      But isn’t the point that there is no actual buyout? The terms of the offer keep changing, and there’s zero guarantee that there’s payment attached to a resignation.

      Your friend may want to exercise caution. Musk and trump are both crooks who have stiffed those who worked for them. There’s a very good chance that this will play out exactly the same way.

      Reply ↓
    7. FricketyFrack*

      Tell them not to do it. There are no *good* options, but there are far worse options. Everything I’ve seen indicates that there’s no way people taking the buyout ever actually get it. Elon has zero authority to offer it, the terms have changed repeatedly so no one even really knows what the offer IS, and let’s be real, Congress isn’t likely to approve any kind of offer after the fact. Your friend is almost certainly better off holding out.

      Reply ↓
      1. Sola Lingua Bona Lingua Mortua Est*

        There are also decent chances the whole thing gets bogged down in lawsuits past the midterms, at which point impeachments may take it off the agenda permanently.

        Reply ↓
  18. daughter of a Fed*

    I can only assume that Elno Skum wants to earn the dubious distinction of being named AAM’s “Worst Boss of the Year” not once but twice. Although he does have plenty of competition this year already.

    Reply ↓
    2. Goddess47*

      I came to make the same point… I think it would be a first, to have the same person as ‘worst boss of the year’ twice…

      Reply ↓
  19. Fives*

    I’m trying to follow this as much as I can. How is Musk, who last I checked is not even federal gov’t, even offering this deferred resignation?

    Reply ↓
    2. Slightly Less Evil Bunny*

      He’s now been named a ‘special government employee’. So I guess technically he *is* in the federal government. (grrrr)

      That still doesn’t give him ANY authority to do any of the crap he’s doing.

      Reply ↓
      1. Msd*

        What about all his minions? Are the six 19-24 year olds they talk about? There also have to be many more doing this analysis.

        Reply ↓
  20. Laura1*

    I’ve been seeing headlines that trump wants to sell off half of government office buildings, so that’s not that farfetched.

    Reply ↓
    1. Llellayena*

      Yeah…keep the more “traditional” looking ones because HE likes the style and doesn’t like the more modern buildings. Of course, those “modern” buildings are the ones that have spatial, energy and accessibility efficiencies that the older “traditional” buildings don’t. So go back to when our office buildings prevented a comfortable and accessible working environment and only held 1/3 the staff…when you’ve already reduced the staff by 3/4 because of all the buildings you got rid of…

      Reply ↓
  21. yeah....*

    As soon as we got that first phishy email from OPM it was clear that the USA is about to become Twitter 2.0. I messaged my union immediately to say that I expected us all to get a “push the button to stay if you are hardcore or otherwise resign” message soon.

    I think a lot about Twitter and Twitter LW these days. Twitter was such a vibrant, useful, valuable community and company before the takeover. Now it’s a worthless haven for nazis.

    Reply ↓
  22. MollyGodiva*

    The language in the “offer” that you sign to do this “buyout” waives all of the rights of the employee and protects all rights of the government. It also bans any recourse if the government violates the terms.

    Reply ↓
  23. HB*

    I just want to say Kudos to the HR official for immediately confirming the employee’s take rather than trying to hem, haw, and generally obfuscate.

    Reply ↓
  24. Shiny Penny*

    I’m calling and leaving voicemails for my senators and representative. The 5calls.org website has been really helpful organizing coherent thoughts beyond “omg make it stop.”
    5Calls says to leave your name and your street address, but my senator’s message only asks for your name and county so I didn’t leave my address.
    Does anyone know what the minimum ID needed really is, for your call to “count?”

    Reply ↓
    1. Ancient Mariner*

      It may vary by location, but when I called my rep here in Southern California, the guy on the phone just asked for my name and zip code.

      Reply ↓
    2. metadata minion*

      Especially if you’re calling for your representative, zip code will help to confirm that you’re in their district.

      Reply ↓
  25. roisin54*

    I have relatives in the DC area whose jobs rely on Federal funding, and they’re really freaked out right now. One of them works in the human rights field and they’re just heartbroken by everything that’s happening right now.

    As a municipal employee in a sanctuary city in a blue state, I’m just waiting for the [stuff] to roll downhill to us. Our mayor is already disliked by the new regime and I can’t even begin to imagine the ways they’ll try to punish her and the rest of us.

    Reply ↓
  26. Horrified Bystander*

    Hope this isn’t a dumb question (if it is forgive me, I’m not American): does Musk have the constitutional, legal authority to do these things? If not can people just say no, as if a person on street tried to arrest you like a cop would?

    Reply ↓
    1. metadata minion*

      This is not a dumb question!. There’s a lot of stuff going on right now that falls into an upsetting category of “this really should be illegal but it’s entirely possible that nobody bothered to make a law against something this bonkers”.

      Reply ↓

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