The Purge: Wait for the Buyout!

I’ll just drop this here:

The purge email:

Subject: Fork in the Road
During the first week of his administration, President Trump issued a number of directives concerning the federal workforce. Among those directives, the President required that employees return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior career executives, and reformed the federal hiring process to focus on merit. As a result of the above orders, the reform of the federal workforce will be significant.
The reformed federal workforce will be built around four pillars:
1) Return to Office: The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers.
2) Performance culture: The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level — our performance standards will be updated to reward and promote those that exceed expectations and address in a fair and open way those who do not meet the high standards which the taxpayers of this country have a right to demand.
3) More streamlined and flexible workforce: While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force. These actions are likely to include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of federal employees.
4) Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.
Each of the pillars outlined above will be pursued in accordance with applicable law, consistent with your agency’s policies, and to the extent permitted under relevant collective-bargaining agreements.
If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.
If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program. This program begins effective January 28 and is available to all federal employees until February 6. If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason). The details of this separation plan can be found below.
Whichever path you choose, we thank you for your service to The United States of America.
*********************************************************************
Upon review of the below deferred resignation letter, if you wish to resign:
1) Select “Reply” to this email. You must reply from your government account. A reply from an account other than your government account will not be accepted.
2) Type the word “Resign” into the body of this reply email. Hit “Send”.
THE LAST DAY TO ACCEPT THE DEFERRED RESIGNATION PROGRAM IS FEBRUARY 6, 2025.
Deferred resignation is available to all full-time federal employees except for military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and those in any other positions specifically excluded by your employing agency.

55 thoughts on “The Purge: Wait for the Buyout!”

  1. Pretty straight forward it seems, now the employees know what’s expected instead of all the rumors and frenzied media. It will be interesting to see what shakes out for land management Agencies….

    Reply
    • It’s by no means straightforward. No one understands how it works or how it would be implemented. I sat through 4 hours of meetings on this yesterday and the level of uncertainty on what it means is ridiculous. The people that wrote this have no idea what they are doing and are sewing chaos. I guess that’s the plan and what you voted for.

      What’s going to shake out? People will quit over the next few years as they find new jobs and because they don’t feel supported or valued, not because they responded to this email. The ones that stay are going to get less work done because they are not supported or valued, and there will not be enough staff or resources to do their jobs. That’s not interesting, that’s really sad.

      Reply
    • It’s always been available; as an employee of the Executive Branch, a FS employee serves as at the discretion of the President. Given some of the employee shenanigan’s of the first Trump Presidency, I hope a standard of accountability applies to all! Folks with nothing to hide should not be concerned with this…. Correct?

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      • So, anyone ever convicted of drunk driving, off-duty, while employed as a Fed, can now be fired? If you have more than 30 hours of AWOL in your career, you are purged? If you have less than 100 hours of Sick Leave, then you’ve been abusing it? Is a bad evaluation in the recent past considered ‘evidence’? There are a bunch of things that someone, somewhere, could judge it to be a breach of ethics, or a ‘bad attitude’, even in retrospect.

        If you have never looked in your own official Personnel file, it might be an eye-opener what you’ll find in there. (You also might be surprised at what is not in there, too)

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        • What kind of fear are you “mongering” now Larry? I see you’ve offered scare tactics on the 1039 site too. Why fear an OPF? Everyone has access to their own eOPF and can view it anytime. As a Line Officer, I saw everyone’s OPF in my charge, and I got news for you, that ain’t where all this secret stuff you’ve dreamed up resides. 😜

          I’ve had multiple “Whistleblower” complaints against me, EEOC’s, Union actions, the list goes on, and my record is as clean as the toilets in a tidy bowl factory! What will folks hope to learn? Employee conduct is a thing; I’ve been delegated termination authority before, and there were a lot more that should have been shown the doors.

          The President would have to violate a litany of federal Law, just to take punitive actions on anyone. As for your examples, the DUI could be a factor in termination but I’ve never seen it used unless it was on duty. Even then, the “last chance” meetings were usually disasters, or the terminations would not have happened.

          I just don’t get it; I did see many violations of conduct when “45” came in, but termination levels? 🤣🤣. Folks need to do as they have been asked, and signed up to do in their job descriptions. Simple as that!

          Reply
          • The key point is that the ‘new standards’ aren’t defined. It feels like anything ‘discovered’ could be construed as a reason to discharge that employee. The “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” mentality seems to be in play, now. If you don’t ‘play ball’, then you’re out on your ear. New ethics standards always seek to get rid of people.

            “We know a bad employee when we see one.”

            As Trump likes to say, “We’ll see what happens.”

            Edit: In reality, the resignation offer is mostly targeting those who tele-work. I’m not against getting people back into the office, at all, except for handicap-related stuff.

            Reply
            • Once again, handicapped or settlements/on the job injuries are the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor! The FS can do whatever they plan but the DOL is lead, and I’ve never seen it turn in the FS favor! Never!

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        • the administration is looking to reduce the number of federal employees, and they are looking to do it as “easily” as possible…

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      • So when the government asks for a record of everyone you’ve ever had sex with, and everything you’ve ever read, and your internet history and voting record and, for that matter, all your emails and recordings of your private conversations … that’ll be fine, right? You’ll share it gladly because you’ve got nothing to hide and this exercise of power wouldn’t be abused?

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        • Pillared, I think you are confusing the federal government with God. Do you even work for the feds? As I said, there are litany of laws governing employment, in all sorts of Agencies. It is absolutely comical to see how much hair is on fire. No wonder wildfire is eating our lunch….

          Everyone needs to take a deep breath and study on this a spell, involve your supervisors to gain more information on the proposal – you have until next Thursday…..

          Reply
          • You are extremely confident as an old timer retiree who got his.
            Must be nice.
            Especially to be disconnected from anything that could affect your retirement from public service, or consequences of that time. You are, as they say, missing the trees for the forest.

            Reply
            • Anony, as an Agency employee told me today, “the choice is clear, get on board or get out of the way”…. True story! I, for one, always done what I was told, treated everyone as my equal and had enough sense to realize I was looking for a job when I found the Agency one. It probably helped to have worked way more outside the government than in it! And yes, confidence is a fine attribute to carry forward.

              You are welcome!

              Reply
                • Wow! This is the first statement I’ve heard you say that didn’t “thump on Trump!” As the op, it seems anyone with a different opinion is wrong, just plain wrong, and you are the only one who knows the truth. Really? I’ve never seen a discussion on here go so wrong. I get it you don’t like Trump, we all get it, but to continually complain about the man and not his authority is just laughable! I’ve never seen a case of TDS like you have Larry, it doesn’t look good on you, nor convey a positive role on this site!

                  Get over it man…..

                  Reply
              • Jim Z – I also treated my FS job of 25 years as if I was looking for a job when I found this one and I’ll do it again if I need to, which is the reason I was able to challenge the agency and not care about the retaliation (and it was massive). However, few vested federal employees are able to be that cavalier for multiple reasons of needing that paycheck to pay the mortgage, feed their families, and maintain health benefits for themselves or sick family members, etc. Many people are not able to move because it means the cost of long distance commuting or having two residences until you sell your home, spouse also having a job that he/she will lose, special needs for children that can only be found in certain areas, etc. The agency placed its employees in this position and now they are going to devastate their lives. Reforms and correction of abuses are needed, but not like this. It’s cruel and unnecessary. It must be stopped.

                Reply
                • I somewhat agree the Agency brought this on its own employees, total lack of leadership and forward thinking in the past 10 years will do that. I never really liked telework, there is no way the productivity and connectivity with cohorts was as powerful as “in the house”!

                  As for determination, the FS is made up of the travelers and the stay at home-ers; both are good for the FS. I moved seven times in fifteen years, not counting acting details, so I also understand the pull of whatever home might be. I have/had a family a family at the time and still do. I lost a brother and a mother along the way. The job was labor of love, the best one I’ve ever had (except retirement). I’ve been lucky; educated and successful at farming/ranching, and the luck of being born into a good family.

                  I may be a bit jaded, but folks need to work hard, keep their nose clean and make good choices! The federal employee has more benefits than the average non-gov worker. Taxpayers believe civil servants should be held to a higher standard!

                  Reply
                    • Hi Larry: We have discussed many issues on this blog — and even in person a few days — and we are almost always in agreement on forest management issues; I know zero about USFS employment issues and rarely contribute; and I think there are thousands of other blogs to discuss partisan politics and just junks up these discussions.

                      I think you’re making a reference to the bogus “lawfare felonies” Trump was given by NY Democrats. If so, most people realized from the beginning that these were nothing more than political dirty tricks intended to keep Trump out of office. So more than half the voters sided with Trump, and I’m guessing more voted for him BECAUSE of this blatant dirty political attempt, than voted against him for being a technical “felon.”

                      If you were *BIG SMIRKING* about actual felons that have served their sentence before an election, or been convicted while in office, please ignore this Comment. And maybe clarify your statement.

                    • Since we are talking about ethics and conduct in American government (including the Forest Service)….

                      Trump was indicted by a legitimate Grand Jury, convicted by a legitimate panel of jurors (approved by the Trump defense lawyers) and sentenced by a legitimate judge. The facts are that he IS a convicted felon.

                      People should not be using Trump as an example of ethics and conduct, for anything, in this government. He is what we should be telling children what NOT to be, when they grow up.

                      THAT is what a very teeny, tiny majority of American voters wanted more than a minority woman, as President. They wanted a male convicted felon. That is America today, and the rest of the world is afraid. Yes, afraid of America’s inhumanity. Will we see January 6th freed insurrectionists in government, soon, too? I’m sure there is room for them in the Justice Department.

          • Apparently, only those who are working from home need to decide. This e-mail has Elon Musk all over it, even down to the subject title. That is exactly how he dealt with Twitter turning into X. This is more like a phishing e-mail, hoping for responses. Like Lesa said, this is probably step #1, but there’s not much here to oppose, really, just yet. I’m not shocked, and there is no awe detected.

            Reply
          • Where are you getting the idea that this administration cares about a “litany of laws?” They will break them and “see what happens.”

            Reply
  2. I have never worked for the Feds. I only worked 28 years as a Civil Engineering professor.
    I’m only saying that considering what I have seen from our government since Clinton was in office.. this is a great new beginning in a renovation of a stale, old, cigarette stained wall paper we have had for 30 years covering over what the citizens (voters) of the the US are asking for now.. Overwhelming.

    Reply
    • Total agreement. This is the first real opportunity to go back to repairing our forests and grasslands for future generations since the 1993 Clinton Plan was adopted and wealthy nonprofits began clogging our courts with NEPA and ESA lawsuits unwittingly being funded by taxpayers via the EAJA. Followed by the predictable catastrophic fires and near-zero salvage and forest restoration that have followed ever since. Change is long, long overdue.

      Reply
      • The main point in all this too, Doc, is every one knew what they were getting with Donald Trump – change! The American voters knew this, had two very different choices to lead this great Land, and overwhelmingly voted to do exactly what President Trump is doing! If federal employees have their feelings hurt, that onus is a reflection of how the federal workforce is perceived by the taxpayers. They, themselves, have to change that perception….

        Reply
        • “overwhelmingly voted to do exactly what President Trump is doing”
          Let the gaslighting continue (or is this just ignorance?). A very small majority voted for Trump, and a small minority of that majority wanted to wreck the government.

          Reply
          • Glad someone said it first. I think Jim might have rose colored glasses on the election and more. The country shifted rightward indeed, but it’s more than a little tiresome to see the triumphalism of a thin plurality. An ironic aside – wasn’t Obama’s slogan “change”? I wonder if Jim agreed with that, certainly numerically stronger, electoral mandate for change?

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          • Jon Haber.. while I disagree about “a very small majority voted for Trump” …. if you peel back the curtain, almost every demographic shifted from left to right in this election. Perhaps judge not about a “very small majority” but instead focus about the direction of the momentum the citizens of the US are rapidly flowing. This ain’t just my opinions.. the majority of the US has spoken their opinions. It’s up to you to either accept the direction of the tide.. or paddle against it.

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          • Jon Haber – Please explain how you can extrapolate how a decisively majority, based on factual data is, in your words, “a small minority”. Unless you feel the election was rigged.. then explain why you feel it was.. please.

            Reply
            • He’s correct though terminology needs fine tuning. A plurality is more than any other but does not an absolute majority. The election (and most) are a plurality of the voting-age public in the US. It could be nitpicking but if you’re going to poetically handwave about mandates and such then it’s worth noting that, considered alongside nonvoters, third parties, etc., one cannot claim any overwhelming “mandate”. The election went how it went, nobody is contesting who won, but acting like the american people overwhelmingly spoke with one voice on their priorities here is disingenuous triumphalism which galls especially coming from the slightly sneering position, as one other commenter put it, of a retiree who got his and got out.

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              • Yes, you are correct. But, we can only go on what the voters voted for. Beyond that is speculation of how our y voted citizens feel. I believe.. the time of speculation is over, and we need to take a FIRM grasp of our problems, and end speculation about what citizens who didn’t vote, would want us to figure out what they want. ??? You don’t vote? You obviously don’t care.
                Reality over speculation.
                Make movement, or get off the pot. Said in the kindest way possible.

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            • Just checking to see if anyone was reading :-). Actually a senior moment in the middle of trying to get the litigation summary done. I corrected it to “small majority” but it was actually a plurality. Sorry about that.

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  3. Employees should not agree to anything like this Fork in the Road offer unless they see an employment law attorney first. Being placed on Administrative Leave for a period of time can negatively affect your benefits. There may be other impacts. I believe better offers will be made in the future such as a lump sum buyout, etc. This is a first phase of “shake the tree” and see who falls out. They are hoping folks will panic and leave. Keep calm and carry on (for now).

    Reply
    • Absolutely correct. Consult with your agency’s OGC and/or your union if you have one, and if your situation is particularly complex, hire an attorney in private practice. PEER might be able to help point you in the right direction.

      That said, the email in question is essentially nothing more than trolling (“fork in the road” was apparently the subject line of the threatening email Musk sent to Twitter employees when he took over). Best to treat it like a prank call or an offer from a Nigerian prince.

      Reply
  4. This “Deferred Resignation” is only available for Full Time employees. Most field-going workers are Permanent Seasonals, and aren’t allowed this generous ‘benefit’. After the ‘voluntary downsizing’, there will probably also be a buyout, (targeting higher executives and office workers), which won’t be available to field-going employees in the USFS and BLM. After that, the ethics investigations and party-line noncompliance will result in additional ‘streamlining’.

    Could we also see a return to widespread use of Temps, with a larger limit on hours? (because that worked so well, a long time ago, eh?)

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  5. There does seem to be some confusion about “severance” pay, ending in September. Senator Tim Kaine thinks that employees who select to resign will get “Severance Pay”. He is also worried about it ‘evaporating’.

    I was under the impression that the employees could continue working from home, until the end of the fiscal year, and get paid for it. If you choose to retire in June, instead, I don’t think you’ll get paid for the next three months. It’s more like an adjustable 2-week notice, instead, as it should be.

    Reply
  6. I would urge anyone considering this offer to be cautious and consult with a lawyer with expertise in federal employment law. There are considerable questions about the legal status of many of the claims made in the memo and its worth noting that many Executive Actions of this very short administration have already been successfully challenged in court, and folks like Trump and Musk don’t have stellar reputations for keeping their word with regards to terms of employment. Some of the issues are laid out in the 3rd section of this essay by University of Michigan public policy professor Don Moynihan “Can Employees Trust the Offer” https://donmoynihan.substack.com/i/155977505/can-employees-trust-the-offer

    Reply
  7. The purge is aimed straight at tribal communities. Kristi Noem’s father hated American Indians, she hates Indians, Donald Trump hates Indians and Tim Sheehy hates Indians so preventing a marauding convicted felon and his mob from seizing or the coerced ceding of ancestral Indigenous lands and it needs to happen fast.

    Reply
  8. How insulting? Those of us who have worked in government do not need these private sector technofacists and whoever you are to lecture us on our work ethics. And while return to the office is very important for those who deal face to face with the public otherwise it can be counterproductive. I feel sorry for current employees and hope you will ride out this storm of idiotcy.

    Reply
    • There is often a lag time that happens from when you hit send, to when it is approved by one of our friendly moderators. As far as I know, all comments received from you have been approved. I will look again to see if another moderator has acted on a comment from you. If you send the comment again, we’ll approve it, within the posted guidelines.

      Reply
  9. You all need to stop the uniformed speculation and blathering. People are hurting. People are scared. If you care about this agency – support them and give them grace.

    Reply
    • My main point: Federal employees are already held to a very high standard regarding ethics and conduct. Holding them to an even higher fuzzy standard than Cabinet nominees or, the President, himself, is wrong. My Constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of speech opinion.

      One more question: When can we expect those new standards to be spelled out and solidified into Federal law?

      Reply
  10. Did anyone else see the report that a large number (no specific numbers) of federal employees have accepted the buyout? I saw it on a news interview on Facebook…. Gotta be true, right….🤣. This one looked legit by the numbers of microphones/phones in the guys face.

    Reply

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