Trump Throws Down Offer That Could Have 5-10% of Federal Employees Quit by Feb 6 [WATCH]

Federal employees unwilling to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive to return to in-person work now have an alternative—voluntary resignation with a buyout.

The White House is set to issue a memorandum on Tuesday, offering eight months’ severance pay to full-time federal employees who resign by February 6 and leave their positions by September 30, according to an administration official speaking to Axios.

BREAKING: Trump administration to offer all 2 million federal workers the chance to take a “deferred resignation” with a severance package of eight months of pay and benefits. 5-10% of the workforce is estimated to quit, which could lead to around $100 billion in savings.

— America (@america) January 28, 2025

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The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to restore pre-pandemic work expectations and overhaul federal workforce policies.

The White House memo will emphasize that all federal employees are expected to return to their offices and meet higher performance standards under the new administration.

“The government-wide email being sent today is to make sure that all federal workers are on board with the new administration’s plan to have federal employees in office and adhering to higher standards,” a senior administration official told Axios.

“We’re five years past COVID and just 6 percent of federal employees work full-time in office. That is unacceptable.”

Buyout Memo sent to federal employees posted online here: https://t.co/iIt9KSFv1I

Titled “Fork in the Road”

The same title @elonmusk gave to a 30-foot-tall steel art installation he commissioned pic.twitter.com/m7C4M4qxXs

— Will Steakin (@wsteaks) January 28, 2025

The administration anticipates that between 5% and 10% of federal employees—potentially up to 200,000 workers—may opt for the buyout, which the White House estimates could ultimately save taxpayers up to $100 billion annually.

The voluntary resignation offer applies to all full-time federal employees, with a few exceptions.

WATCH: Fox’s @JacquiHeinrich reports President Trump is offering a buyout for ALL 2 million federal workers to *resign*.

Each worker would get a severance package including 8 months of pay and benefits – and 5-10% are expected to quit. If so, $100B will be saved. pic.twitter.com/hp3KEXJKxU

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) January 28, 2025

Employees working in immigration enforcement, national security, and the U.S. Postal Service will not be eligible for the severance package. Military personnel are also excluded.

The latest policy follows Trump’s Inauguration Day executive order, which mandated a return to in-person work for all federal employees.

The order instructed agency and department heads to “take all necessary steps” to end remote work arrangements and ensure employees return to their official duty stations.

“Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary,” the order states.

This decision has drawn criticism from some federal employees who had grown accustomed to telework.

This DC bureaucrat is outraged she’s gone to have to go in to work every day.

She’s deeply concerned for all the parents who now have to figure out child care!

In reality, these people have been collecting fat salaries since Covid while chilling at home pic.twitter.com/7aY77SC3jz

— Dinesh D’Souza (@DineshDSouza) January 25, 2025

The buyout program is part of a larger initiative detailed on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website under the section titled “Fork in the Road.”

The plan focuses on four key priorities for federal workforce reform:

• Return to Office – Ending pandemic-era remote work policies.
• Performance Culture – Implementing higher standards for employee accountability.
• More Streamlined and Flexible Workforce – Reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies.
• Enhanced Standards of Conduct – Increasing expectations for professionalism.

The administration’s message is clear: federal employment will now require full-time, in-person work and stricter performance expectations.

With approximately two million federal employees, the Trump administration’s buyout offer could lead to significant workforce reductions if a large number of employees choose to resign.

While critics argue that the policy disrupts work-life balance, the administration maintains that it is a necessary step toward restoring government efficiency.

The new policy aligns with Trump’s broader commitment to reducing government waste and ensuring that federal employees are fully engaged in their responsibilities.

The White House has made it clear that the era of widespread remote work in government is over, and employees must either adapt to the new expectations or take the buyout option before the February 6 deadline.

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