Elon Musk's Question for Federal Employees to Avoid Job Termination

Billionaire Elon Musk, who currently serves as an advisor on governmental efficiency for President Donald Trump, has stirred up fresh controversy by demanding that all U.S. federal employees answer a crucial written question. Failure to comply "will be considered a resignation" from their positions. Employees are required to submit a detailed report outlining roughly five points that describe their weekly accomplishments. "All federal employees will soon receive an email requesting information about what they did last week. If they don't respond, it will be taken as a resignation," Musk announced on social media.

The Musk-Trump Offensive

Previously, Trump had expressed his desire for his advisor to take a "more aggressive" approach in implementing his reform agenda aimed at cutting federal spending. "Elon is doing a great job, but I'd like to see him get more aggressive. Remember, we have a country to save," the president stated on his platform, Truth Social. Musk's brief but firm response on his platform, X, was "I will, Mr. President!" accompanied by a screenshot of Trump's request.

In alignment with these directives, the U.S. Department of Defense has announced a 5% cut in its civilian workforce, while other agencies have started planning mass layoffs and freezing federal grant funds.

The Email That Triggered Alarm

The email ordeal is no joke. Federal employees began receiving emails from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with the subject line: "What did you do last week?" The message instructs workers to "respond with approximately five points on what they achieved last week and copy their manager." The submission deadline was set for this Monday at 11:59 p.m.

However, the message's ambiguity and lack of clarity on the legal consequences led to confusion among employees. Many are questioning what will happen to those on vacation, on leave, or engaged in classified tasks.

Syndicates Speak Out Amid Federal Agency Chaos

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) quickly condemned the move. Everett Kelley, the organization's president, stated that this action reflects "Trump and Musk's utter contempt for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people." He added, "It is cruel and disrespectful for hundreds of thousands of veterans, who wear their second uniform in civil service, to be forced to justify their job functions to this disconnected, privileged, and unelected billionaire."

Meanwhile, agencies like the FBI and the National Weather Service have issued directives to their employees not to respond to the email until the messages' authenticity is verified. Some federal judges have reportedly received these emails by mistake.

Rising Tensions: Layoffs and Reactions

Since the start of Trump's administration, thousands of federal workers have been dismissed or pressured to leave their positions through severance offers. The cuts impact key agencies like the Department of Defense, Health and Human Services, the National Park Service, and the Internal Revenue Service.

Union leaders such as Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), have labeled the measure as "completely un-American," asserting that "NTEU members will not back down from these blatant attempts to undermine a vital resource for the American public."

As Musk and Trump continue to push their federal government restructuring plan, uncertainty looms over employees who fear losing their jobs due to unilateral and opaque decisions. Legal actions from the unions might stall the implementation of these measures, but for now, confusion and chaos have taken root at the heart of the U.S. bureaucratic system.