Elon Musk’s Federal Worker Ultimatum Sparks Revolt – Lawmakers and Unions Push Back
Source: The Verge
A mass email sent to federal employees demanding they justify their job performance or risk losing their positions has ignited outrage, with lawmakers and unions pushing back against what they call an overreach of authority. The directive, reportedly initiated by billionaire Elon Musk, required federal workers to list five tasks they completed last week.
Failure to respond, the email warned, would be considered a resignation. The demand, allegedly sent from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), reached employees in multiple government agencies, including the State Department, the National Institutes of Health, the General Services Administration, Veterans Affairs, and the Food and Drug Administration, according to Politico.
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The controversy escalated after Musk posted on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
The directive immediately faced pushback from legal experts and politicians, who questioned its legality and the extent of Musk’s authority over federal employment matters.
Federal employment attorney Michael Fallings dismissed the directive, saying, “I don’t believe it would be legal, and I don’t think he really understands right now how he will even do what he’s threatened to do.”
He advised affected employees to consult their supervisors before responding to the demand. Meanwhile, Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) encouraged federal workers to resist, calling Musk’s move an opportunity for “mass civil disobedience.”
Linking to Musk’s post, Casten wrote, “Musk has no authority to do this. Encourage all federal employees to report to work, prepare GFY letters, and continue to demonstrate the public service and patriotism he lacks.”
On Bluesky, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) was even more blunt in her criticism of Musk, writing, “This is the ultimate d–ck boss move from Musk – except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a d–ck.”
She went on to compare the demand to exploitative workplace tactics, adding, “I bet a lot of people have had an experience like this with a bad boss – there’s an email in your inbox on Saturday night saying, ‘Prove to me your worthiness by Monday or else.’ I’m on the side of the workers, not the billionaire a–hole bosses.”
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As resistance mounts, legal experts argue that Musk lacks the authority to enforce such a demand, and the directive could face legal challenges if acted upon. The situation underscores broader concerns about private influence over federal operations and the boundaries of executive authority.
For now, federal employees face a Monday deadline, with unions and lawmakers urging them to stand firm against what they describe as an unjustified and unenforceable ultimatum.
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