'Read the fine print': Officials call out 'misleading' Trump buyout offer to federal workers

06 February

Thursday marks the deadline for federal workers to accept an offer from President Donald Trump's administration to quit their jobs with extra pay or risk being fired. But some officials are warning about specific language buried in the text of the buyout offer.

The Daily Beast is reporting that the offer — which allows federal workers to quit with their salaries paid through September — is not what it seems upon closer inspection, according to some experts. Department of Education officials noticed that in their buyout offer letter, one clause noted that the education secretary could simply revoke the offer after it was signed. In a recent press release, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel — in conjunction with a coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general — warned that the buyouts had "misleading" terms and conditions.

“For those considering the buyout, read the fine print before signing and be cautious, as certain benefits may not be guaranteed," Nessel stated. "Employees who are represented by a union should work with their labor representatives before entering into any contract changes.”

However, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) — which houses the U.S. government's human resources functions — recently sent a memo assuring all federal workers that the administration's assurances of several months' salary are "legally binding."

WIRED reported roughly a week after Trump's inauguration that the OPM's offices had been taken over by employees of centabillionaire tech CEO Elon Musk, who has publicly expressed that his mission is to hollow out the federal workforce. The Washington Post reported that his "Department of Government Efficiency," which is not yet an official federal agency authorized by Congress, has connected a server to the OPM's database, giving his employees access to millions of federal workers' sensitive information. This reportedly includes Social Security numbers and even medical records, according to sources that spoke with journalist Judd Legum's Popular Information newsletter.

So far, out of the roughly 2.3 million employees throughout all federal agencies, only 40,000 have taken the buyout offer so far, which represents just 2% of the civil service. CNN reported last week that many federal workers are wary of the offer, particularly given that federal agencies are only funded through mid-March as of the latest government funding agreement passed by Congress.

"Unlike structured programs that the federal government offered in the past to decrease the number of federal employees, this maneuver is intended to panic civil servants into accepting what seems like a sweet deal but is probably a scam," said Randy Erwin, who is the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees.

Click here to read the Beast's full report (subscription required).

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