It seems that Elon Musk has taken his role within the government due to Donald Trump’s Presidency far more seriously than we could have imagined. One of the very first things he’s decided to do as the Administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency is target the over two million employees staffed by the federal government. How did he do this, you ask? He hijacked an HR email address and sent out a mass message to 2.3 million government employees, offering severance to anyone who wished to leave their role. I’m not sure if it’s considered efficiently reducing the workforce if you just straight up ask people if they want to leave their jobs.
The email, titled Fork in the Road, is essentially a memo that details what Musk calls the ‘four pillars.’ These include:
- Return to Office.
- Performance Culture.
- More Streamlined and Flexible Workforce.
- Enhanced Standards of Conduct.
Shockingly, the email ends with a deferred resignation program that those who wish to resign can accept. What’s even more strange is that those who wish to resign simply need to reply to the memo with the word ‘Resign.’ The email was sent via the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the federal workforce. According to those close to the situation, officials within the management office were unaware that the email would be sent out.
Not surprisingly, many of the employees who received the HR email are skeptical of the offer, seeing as Elon Musk has a reputation for not being as direct as he should be (and sometimes, a little too direct). The offer is expected to last until February 6, 2025, and those who do wish to leave their positions will receive severance through September 30, 2025, on the promise that they do not need to return at any point. It’s incredible to think of what could possibly happen if even a fraction of that workforce accepted or thought to accept the offer.
