Overview

• The Trump administration has proposed a 'deferred resignation' program, offering federal employees eight months of pay and benefits if they resign by February 6, 2025.
• The plan, announced via email by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), excludes military personnel, postal workers, and employees in national security and immigration enforcement roles.
• Legal experts and unions question the program's legality, citing unclear funding, potential violations of federal regulations, and lack of authority for such buyouts.
• The initiative, which resembles Elon Musk's approach at Twitter, has caused widespread confusion and anxiety among federal workers, with some agencies already struggling with staffing shortages.
• Critics argue the plan may be an attempt to shrink the federal workforce and replace career civil servants with political loyalists, potentially disrupting essential government functions.