In a bid to evaluate the performance of government employees, the Trump administration issued a new set of emails on Friday evening. These emails, sent by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to various agencies, requested federal workers to list five accomplishments from the past week. This initiative, spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team, aims to streamline the federal workforce through potential mass layoffs.
Musk emphasized the mandatory nature of responding to these emails for executive branch employees, excluding those handling sensitive matters who can indicate the nature of their work in their replies. Despite a previous attempt and a threat of termination for non-compliance, Musk faced resistance from some agencies like the State and Justice Departments, which urged their employees to follow existing protocols.
While the current round of emails does not carry threats for noncompliance, workers are expected to provide responses at the start of each work week. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed Pentagon personnel to comply, but the State Department advised its employees to wait. Similarly, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department received the directive, with varying responses from their staff.
Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and labor unions, have raised concerns about the potential adverse effects of widespread cuts on essential government functions. Musk’s team previously mandated agencies to submit staffing reduction plans by March 13, resulting in around 100,000 layoffs to date. The process has been chaotic, leading to instances where agencies had to recall staff for public safety.
Overall, the emails aim to increase accountability among federal employees, but the approach has faced challenges and pushback from certain agencies and stakeholders.
The Social Security Administration, which disburses benefit checks to millions of Americans, announced plans to reduce its workforce by 7,000 employees and close several regional offices. Additionally, the Trump administration recently disbanded a group of technology-savvy government workers who played a key role in developing the Internal Revenue Service’s free tax filing service and enhancing various government websites. An email sent to U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) employees revealed that the team, known as 18F, was deemed “non-critical.”
Established during the final days of the Obama administration, 18F served as an internal technology consulting unit within the government, focusing on identifying redundancies, improving efficiency, and enhancing user experience on government websites.
Several lawsuits have been filed with the objective of preventing entrepreneur Elon Musk and his cryptocurrency Dogecoin (DOGE) from accessing government systems and confidential data. Allegations suggest that Musk and DOGE are exceeding constitutional limits by exerting influence typically reserved for agencies established by Congress or individuals appointed with Senate confirmation.
Musk’s involvement has stirred some discord and uncertainty among White House staffers, although President Trump reportedly supports the initiative.
It is important to note that Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, does not hold a Cabinet-level position and did not undergo Senate confirmation. The exact nature of his role within DOGE remains ambiguous, as the Trump administration has not provided clear details.
(Additional reporting by Humerya Pamuk, Tim Reid, Rafael Satter, Jasper Ward, Marisa Taylor, Sarah N. Lynch, and Ned Parker. Written by James Oliphant, Edited by Franklin Paul and Marguerita Choy) This article was initially published on USA TODAY: DOGE cuts: Federal workers receive second email requesting job information.
