Education Department Staff Warned That Trump Buyout Offers Could Be Canceled at Any Time
Federal Workers Face Uncertainty and Fears of Being Left Without Promised Pay
Top officials at the Department of Education told staff that if they accept the Trump administration’s deferred resignation package, the education secretary may later cancel it, leaving employees without promised pay. The warning came during an all-staff meeting held over Zoom on Wednesday, where officials described significant caveats to the so-called Fork in the Road offer.
Understanding the Buyout Offer
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent notices to federal employees last week, stating that if they resign by February 6, they could continue receiving pay and benefits until the end of September. The Trump administration hopes to get as many as 10% of the workforce to quit as part of a plan to shrink the federal bureaucracy.
Caveats and Concerns
Three Education Department officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that Rachel Oglesby, the department’s new chief of staff, and Jacqueline Clay, chief human capital officer, described the following caveats during the meeting:
- The Education Secretary could rescind the agreement at any time, leaving employees without promised pay.
- The government could stop paying employees, and those who took the deferred resignation package would waive all legal claims.
- The employees would need to agree to resign by Thursday evening without seeing the actual terms of their separation.
Concerns among Federal Workers
The officials described the tone of the meeting as "angry," with workers putting questions in the Zoom chat box but not receiving responses. A second official said, "The morale is pretty bad. One of the managers I work with just said he hasn’t seen any emails in the last four hours since the meeting ended, because everybody just kind of had the life sucked out of them."
Background and Context
The unusual buyout offer has upended Washington, D.C., amid a flurry of executive orders and maneuvers by Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Many Democrats and some Republicans say that Trump and Musk are violating constitutional limits on the presidency in ways that are unlawful and that are precipitating a constitutional crisis.
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Some labor unions for federal workers have sued to stop the deferred resignation program, arguing that the Trump administration does not have legal authority to offer such buyouts. Federal government labor unions and Democratic attorneys general have warned federal workers that they may never receive the promised resignation benefits, and characterized the offers as an attempt to intimidate them into quitting.
Staffing Changes and Layoffs
The department expects to conduct layoffs, known as Reduction in Force, which will affect some offices, but the exact timing and affected offices are still unknown. The department is also requiring staff to come into the office daily by February 24, with plans to find alternative work arrangements for remote employees.
Conclusion
The warning from Education Department officials has left federal workers with deep concerns about the Trump administration’s buyout offer. The uncertainty and fear of being left without promised pay have taken a toll on morale, with one official describing the atmosphere as "angry" and another saying, "The morale is pretty bad."
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Fork in the Road offer?
- The Fork in the Road offer is a deferred resignation package offered to federal employees, allowing them to continue receiving pay and benefits until the end of September if they resign by February 6.
- What are the caveats of the offer?
- The Education Secretary could rescind the agreement at any time, leaving employees without promised pay. The government could stop paying employees, and those who took the deferred resignation package would waive all legal claims.
- What is the purpose of the buyout offer?
- The Trump administration hopes to get as many as 10% of the workforce to quit as part of a plan to shrink the federal bureaucracy.
