A recent directive from Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has sparked significant controversy within the U.S. federal workforce. Musk’s email demanded that all federal employees submit a summary of their weekly accomplishments, with non-compliance potentially leading to termination. This mandate has led several federal agencies to advise their employees against responding, citing concerns over protocol and security.
The Controversial Directive of Elon Musk
On February 22, 2025, federal employees received an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with the subject line, “What did you do last week?” The email instructed employees to provide a five-bullet-point summary of their weekly accomplishments by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 24. Musk emphasized that failure to respond would be considered a resignation.
Agency Responses
The directive was met with mixed reactions across various federal agencies:
FBI and State Department: Officials instructed their staff not to respond to the email, emphasizing adherence to established chains of command.
Department of Defense (DoD): The DoD advised employees to “pause any response” to the OPM email, reflecting internal concerns about the directive’s legitimacy.
Health and Human Services (HHS): Staff were informed that there was “no HHS expectation” to respond. Additionally, employees were cautioned that any information provided could potentially be accessed by “malign foreign actors.”
Transportation Department, Treasury Department, General Services Administration (GSA), and OPM: These agencies instructed their employees to comply with the directive and submit the requested summaries.
Union and Legal Challenges
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal workers’ union, questioned Musk’s authority to enforce such a directive. The union advised its members to seek guidance from their supervisors and expressed intentions to challenge any terminations resulting from non-compliance.
Legal experts have also raised concerns about the directive’s validity, arguing that federal employees possess due process rights and cannot be summarily dismissed without proper procedures. This has led to legal challenges aiming to prevent mass terminations based on the email directive.
Conclusion
Elon Musk’s attempt to assess federal employee productivity through a mass email has resulted in widespread confusion and resistance. The varied responses from different agencies highlight the complexities of implementing such directives across the federal government. As the situation continues to evolve, it underscores the challenges inherent in managing a diverse and expansive federal workforce.
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