Fed Workers ‘Kicking And Screaming’ At Trump’s Buyout Offer

Government workers are reeling after President Donald Trump’s administration presented a “payout” to federal employees refusing to return to the office on a full-time basis.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent an email to millions of government employees on Tuesday, offering eight months of pay if they resigned by Feb. 6. In response, federal employees and Democratic representatives have lodged anonymous complaints to media outlets.

This followed Trump’s executive order forcing government workers to return to the office on a full-time basis on Jan. 20. “It was the batshit craziest email I’ve ever read,” one anonymous employee told POLITICO’S E&E News. “They’re gonna have to take me out kicking and screaming.” “It’s just not happening,” said one United States Department of Energy worker.

“There’s no way I’m sending ‘Resign’ to this jinky email address,” another staffer said. “I don’t care what you throw at me,” one U.S. National Science Foundation worker said, noting that they were “more angry now” and they were “not going to quit.”

Politico recorded many other grievances from the workers, who called the offer “insulting,” “perplexing … and dangerous” and an attempt to “dismantle the government.”

“This is STRAIGHT from the pages of Project 2025,” Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett wrote on X, Newsweek reported. “Trump is offering a fake ‘buyout’ to federal workers with no guarantee he won’t screw them the minute they accept — and then replace them with unqualified, inexperienced loyalists the second they leave.”