Elon Musk announced on Monday that federal employees will have a second opportunity to respond to an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that requested a summary of their weekly accomplishments, or risk termination. Initially, Musk had set a deadline of 11:59 PM on the same day for responses, but he did not specify a new deadline for those receiving this "another chance."
Musk’s statement, posted on social media platform X, indicated that the decision to grant this opportunity would be at the discretion of the President. He emphasized that failure to respond a second time would lead to termination. The announcement has sparked confusion among federal employees, as it appears to contradict earlier guidance from OPM, which stated that responding to the email was voluntary.
The OPM had clarified in a memo that agency heads could choose to exclude certain personnel from this requirement and should notify OPM of any exclusions and the reasons behind them. This guidance followed a previous statement from OPM indicating that responses to the email were not mandatory. The email in question, titled "What did you do last week?" requested employees to list approximately five accomplishments and copy their managers on the response. Musk had previously warned that not responding would be interpreted as a resignation.
The situation became more complicated when OPM reiterated that not responding to the email does not equate to resignation, and that it is up to agency leadership to determine the appropriate actions regarding employees who fail to reply. Some agencies, including the FBI and the State Department, instructed their personnel to disregard the email, citing their own internal procedures.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter, suggesting that the agencies advising employees to ignore the email did so with confidentiality in mind and not as a rebuke to Musk. He praised the initiative of sending the email, framing it as a way to assess employee productivity and reduce government waste. Trump stated, "If people don’t respond, it’s very possible that there is no such person or they’re not working."
The unfolding events reflect a broader push for accountability within the federal workforce, but the mixed messages from Musk, OPM, and various agencies have left many employees uncertain about their obligations and the potential consequences of their actions.