On Saturday, staff all through the federal authorities received an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), demanding a reply with “approx. 5 bullets of what you achieved final week.” On X, Elon Musk posted that failure to reply “will likely be taken as a resignation.” The outcome? Confusion, chaos, and resentment amongst a federal workforce that more and more feels under attack.
“So fucking dumb,” says one air site visitors controller who acquired the e-mail and was granted anonymity for concern of retribution.
Leaders of many companies seem to have been caught off guard. On the National 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 e-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 informed 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 employees have acquired an e-mail from HR@opm.gov,” learn an e-mail from the director’s workplace of the Division of Administrative Companies for US Federal Courts. “Please be suggested that this e-mail didn’t originate from the Judiciary or the Administrative Workplace and we advise that no motion be taken.”
No less than some navy personnel additionally acquired the e-mail, and have been informed to await steerage from the Division of Protection. That holding sample seems to be the response at most companies, 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 reduce the federal workforce. On the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, as an illustration, in an e-mail with the topic line “Please Await Steerage,” some employees had been informed that “info is forthcoming,” with none indication of when or from whom.
One other consideration for a lot of just isn’t solely whether or not they need to reply, however how. Whereas the OPM e-mail specified that staff mustn’t ship categorized info, hyperlinks, or attachments, that severely limits how employees at many authorities companies may be capable to reply.
“Nationwide safety employees are getting notified of OPM’s request, which is taking them from the essential work of making certain nationwide safety pursuits,” stated one supply, who was granted anonymity because of the nature of their work. “These are important staff who hold us secure.”
“The Govt Committee is at present reviewing this request to find out applicable pointers concerning what info will be shared exterior of the company,” reads an e-mail from the Workplace of the Comptroller of the Foreign money, which sits throughout the Treasury Division. “Please wait for extra steerage.”
NBC Information reported Saturday that even Kash Patel, the newly installed Federal Bureau of Investigation director and shut ally of President Donald Trump, has instructed staff not to reply to the OPM e-mail.
Trending Merchandise
