US federal employees face 48-hour ultimatum to justify jobs or resign

A sweeping demand from federal agencies — apparently driven by billionaire Elon Musk and aligned with President Donald Trump’s call for a leaner government — has sparked confusion, anger, and legal concerns across the US federal workforce.

Federal employees received emails on Feb 22 instructing them to submit a summary of their weekly accomplishments, with a strict deadline of Feb 24 at 11:59 pm. The directive, issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), warned that failure to comply would be interpreted as a resignation.

The subject line read: “What did you do last week?” Employees were told to provide a concise, bullet-point report while avoiding classified information, links, or attachments.

Musk, who has been vocal about reducing the federal workforce, signaled his involvement in a post on X, stating his actions were “consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions.” The remark appeared to reference an earlier post by Trump on Truth Social, where the former president praised Musk’s efforts but urged him to be “MORE AGGRESSIVE” in cutting government jobs.

Legal and logistical chaos

The OPM defended the request, with spokesperson McLaurine Pinover framing it as part of the Trump administration’s push for “an efficient and accountable federal workforce.” Pinover added that agency managers would review employee responses before determining next steps.

However, the email and its implied consequences have triggered a storm of legal and logistical challenges. Many federal employees are bound by regulations that restrict them from sharing work details without prior authorization. Others—particularly those in the Department of Defense — are stationed in remote locations with limited access to email. Additionally, a significant number of employees are on leave, including those placed on administrative leave by the Trump administration over their involvement in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Conflicting guidance from agency leadership has only added to the uncertainty. Some officials have urged employees to refrain from responding until the email’s legitimacy is verified.

The ultimatum comes amid a broader campaign to drastically shrink the federal workforce. Many probationary employees have already been dismissed under a joint effort by Musk and Trump. The directive has left employees in a state of unease.

“Most people have been scrambling, trying to keep things going despite the existential threat of being fired at any moment,” an employee with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told The Washington Post anonymously. “I don’t know how we can keep up with this psychological terror.”

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employee voiced similar frustrations to the Associated Press: “To me, it’s like saying, ‘I burned your house down on Saturday—what household chores did you do this week?’”

Unions and law experts push back

Legal experts have cast doubt on the administration’s authority to treat non-responses as voluntary resignations. Nick Bednar, a law professor at the University of Minnesota was quoted as saying by ‘The Washington Post’ that federal law requires resignations to be voluntary, citing case law before the Merit Systems Protection Board, which adjudicates disputes involving federal employees.

FBI employees have reportedly flooded their managers with concerns about the directive’s implications, particularly for those currently on leave.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees — the largest union representing federal workers — has vowed to challenge any unlawful terminations.

“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life,” Kelley said in a statement.

Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) also spoke out, expressing solidarity with federal employees on X: “You deserve so much better.”

As federal workers scramble to respond or determine whether they should — uncertainty looms over how the administration will enforce the policy and what legal battles may follow.