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.