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Elon Musk has issued a warning to U.S. government employees: they need to report their weekly activities, or they’ll risk losing their jobs. Over the weekend, Musk announced that, following directives from President Trump, all federal workers would soon receive an email asking them to outline their accomplishments from the previous week. According to Musk, who has taken on a leadership role in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, not responding to this request will be considered a resignation.
Shortly after Musk’s announcement, a memo circulated from the U.S. government’s human resources department. As reported to the Financial Times by multiple sources, this memo directed government employees to submit around five key points detailing their recent accomplishments, with a strict deadline of midnight on Monday. It also emphasized the importance of not including classified information in their responses.
This demand is reminiscent of Musk’s approach during his Twitter acquisition and came soon after Donald Trump praised Musk’s efforts but expressed a desire for even bolder action. Musk’s influence has already significantly disrupted major government departments, leading to the cancellation of numerous contracts and the suspension of thousands of personnel.
The Trump administration, however, has faced criticism for dismissing veterans and cybersecurity experts and subsequently had to reinstate staff at the agency in charge of safeguarding the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Following Musk’s lead, federal employees were offered the option to resign if they didn’t wish to return to a full-time office setting, with projections suggesting as many as 200,000 might choose to leave. The offer, which closed earlier this month, ultimately attracted 77,000 resignations.
Further shake-ups in Washington included President Trump’s dismissal of General CQ Brown from his role as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with five senior Pentagon officials. The defense department is also set to lay off 5,400 probationary employees starting next week.
The Saturday email, initiated by the government Office of Personnel Management, did not reiterate Musk’s online warning about job termination for non-compliance. However, Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, declared that his union would contest any wrongful terminations of federal workers. He criticized the actions of Musk and the Trump administration, stating, “Once again, they have demonstrated a profound disregard for federal employees and the vital services they deliver to the American populace.” Kelley condemned the demand as disrespectful to veterans and what he saw as an unjust expectation from an “out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire,” who he claims lacks any experience in public service.
A representative from the Office of Personnel Management declined to comment on the situation.
