Pentagon Orders Civilian Workforce to Comply with Weekly Job Accountability Emails

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reverses initial guidance, mandating responses to Elon Musk-led initiative aimed at increasing federal worker accountability.

The Department of Defense has instructed its 950,000 civilian employees to respond to weekly emails detailing five job accomplishments, as part of a broader government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk.
Initially, federal agencies, including the Pentagon, advised employees not to respond due to concerns about sensitive or classified information being disclosed.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the updated mandate after reviewing Pentagon procedures, emphasizing that responses should exclude sensitive or classified details.
Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have framed the initiative as a cost-cutting measure, with Musk warning that failure to comply could result in termination.
The initiative has drawn criticism from federal workers and some agency leaders, who describe the emails as stressful, redundant, and disruptive to ongoing work.