As ‘Deferred Resignation’ Deadline Looms, Federal Employees Are Mad As Hell and Not Going Anywhere

By Dave Levitan | February 6, 2025 | 11:54am

Photo by Another Believer/Wikimedia Commons

Trump Administration Elon Musk

As ‘Deferred Resignation’ Deadline Looms, Federal Employees Are Mad As Hell and Not Going Anywhere

The Office of Personnel Management’s “Fork in the Road” offer came with a deadline of February 6. When it was first sent out on January 28, employees at a variety of federal agencies were skeptical, confused, and insulted by the suggestion that many of them are not hard-working or “loyal.” More than a week later with the deadline looming, according to a number of employees Splinter has spoken with, very little has been made clear about how this would work or its legality, and only a very small number — generally right-leaning, Trump-supporting types, and generally those close to retirement, according to multiple sources — appear to be taking the offer.

“[People] are pissed and generally holding the line,” said a source inside the Department of the Interior. The source knew of only one or two people — older and near retirement, and Trump supporters — who are taking the offer, which in theory lets employees stop working but continue to be paid through September. “They know the language isn’t right but trust Trump.”

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Multiple sources across agencies said they have heard of only a tiny handful of people taking the offer, no more than perhaps one percent of their particular group or division. In some cases, the number may be closer to zero. “I do not know anyone who’s even contemplating taking the fork in the road offer,” said one source inside the National Institutes of Health.

Though the initial email was later followed up with a supposedly clarifying FAQ, and employees received wallet inspector-like assurance from OPM that it was “valid, lawful, and will be honored by” their individual agencies, there is apparently little actual guidance on how this will really work. A source inside the Department of Agriculture said that only a few right-leaning people in their area took their offer, and while today is supposed to be their last day of work, “they’ve gotten zero direction on what that means from anyone or how to proceed.”

Inside the Army Corps of Engineers, where the vast bulk of the nearly 40,000 employees are civilians, the situation is further complicated because there are Department of Defense exemptions to hiring freezes. A source inside USACE told Splinter that while very few people appear to be interested in the OPM offer, there is a fear that the takers will simply be terminated because there is clearance to then refill that position. The source also pointed out that if only those close to retirement take the offer, they are likely in senior roles which may then just get eliminated, potentially removing or delaying younger staffers’ chances at promotion.

“The phishing emails, disrespect and the big one — violating existing rules and processes — have entrenched a good portion of employees,” the USACE source told Splinter. “[Government] workers like established processes to be followed.”

The anger at the apparent disrespect is widespread. “Most folks are holding the line and saying how illegal/dumb it is,” said the source at the USDA. “We’ve been getting emails at least twice [to] three times a day about quitting. I just want to do my job.”

There is also some sympathy for those few who are inclined to take OPM — and Elon Musk and Donald Trump — at its word. “I’m really sad for the takers [because] I suspect they will be cheated out of their pensions with no recourse,” said a source inside the DOI. “Look man we all work in contracts all day long, most of us see right through this.”

Another source, who deals with budgeting issues directly in their role inside the Commerce Department, said that “alarm bells are ringing for me that it absolutely will not come through. Anyone who [has] ever taken appropriations law training would agree.”

As Musk’s DOGE minions run rampant through the government and budget- and payment-related systems go down and pop back up, and entire programs are dismantled overnight, it isn’t hard to imagine the mechanics of Musk’s attempt to eliminate hundreds of thousands of federal employees simply not working as promised, or the rug being pulled from under it immediately. And in general, people who work for the government are there because they want to be there, to provide a service that actually helps other Americans. Ham-handed scams to reduce the government’s ability to actually function were never likely to move the needle very far.

As the source inside the DOI said: “I’ll be here til they drag me away from my desk in handcuffs screaming.”

Update: A federal judge temporarily delayed the OPM offer deadline on Thursday afternoon, pushing it off until at least Monday.