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The White House has provided buyout offers to nearly all federal employees who prefer not to return to the office, with a deadline for acceptance set for February 6. The human resources department informed hundreds of thousands of government workers on Tuesday evening that eight months’ salary would be available to anyone who resigns by the upcoming Thursday. The communication included a “deferred resignation letter” for those interested in this option.
Federal employees have the choice to return to in-person work full time; however, those who choose this option could face potential layoffs based on a memo from the White House that was reviewed. The memo indicated that while job security cannot be assured, protections would be available if a position were eliminated.
This communication to employees follows a series of executive orders signed last week aimed at mandating full-time office attendance, modifying hiring practices, and updating evaluations of senior government personnel. The initiative comes less than two weeks after the administration returned to power and is part of efforts to reduce federal expenses while pursuing deregulation and downsizing of government operations.
The President has appointed billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly established Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with identifying federal programs for elimination. Concurrently, the White House issued a memo to freeze federal payments to various programs, including those assisting impoverished populations, though a federal judge intervened just as the freeze was about to be enacted.
Last week, the administration halted foreign aid programs and attempted to eliminate loans and grants for clean energy initiatives. On Tuesday, the Secretary of State approved a waiver for essential humanitarian assistance, which includes life-saving medicine and shelter.
The President anticipates that “the majority of federal agencies are likely to see reductions” in personnel, although some sectors, including military branches, might experience workforce increases. This buyout initiative could impact a significant portion of the federal workforce, as 43 percent of civilian federal employees are engaged in telework either routinely or occasionally, according to a December report from the Office of Personnel Management. A senior administration official projected that between 5 percent and 10 percent of employees might accept the buyout, which could lead to annual savings of approximately $100 billion.
photo credit: www.ft.com
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