The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it is offering financial incentives to 2 million full-time civilian federal workers to resign as part of efforts to significantly reduce the size of the US government.
Under the newly introduced “deferred resignation program,” federal employees would remain on the payroll until 30 September but would not be required to work in person. Some employees might also see their duties reduced or eliminated during this period, according to an email sent to federal employees and reviewed by reporters.
The email gave federal employees until 6 February to decide whether to participate in the programme. Those interested were instructed to reply to the email using a government account and type the word “resign.” The offer applies to civilian employees, excluding those in immigration and national security-related roles, as well as those working for the US Postal Service.
This move marks an unprecedented step in President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the federal government to align with his political agenda. Since taking office, Trump has sought to downsize, restructure, and overhaul government agencies.
The US has approximately 2.3 million civilian federal employees, excluding postal workers. While security-related agencies make up a large portion of the workforce, hundreds of thousands of employees oversee veterans’ healthcare, inspect agriculture, and manage government finances, among other duties.
The proportion of federal employees relative to the total non-farm workforce has been declining for decades and now stands at under 2%. The email stated that the administration aims to create a “more streamlined and flexible workforce.”
While some agencies, including the military, are expected to expand their workforce, most federal departments are likely to face job cuts through restructuring and layoffs.
The email also warned that employees could not be guaranteed job security.
“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,” the email stated. “The reform of the federal workforce will be significant.”
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine criticised the proposal on Tuesday, calling it a “fake offer” and arguing that Trump lacked the authority to implement it. He also raised concerns that employees might not receive the promised payouts.
It remains unclear how many workers will accept the offer and what impact it will have on government operations and costs. NBC News cited a senior administration official who estimated that 5%-10% of the federal workforce could resign, potentially saving $100 billion. However, Reuters was unable to verify this figure.
Billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed to lead a government cost-cutting initiative, initially sought to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion from the $6.8 trillion budget. However, he later suggested that a smaller amount of spending would likely be cut.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on: