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In yet another quest to diminish the size of the federal workforce, government employees from several key departments are being offered a pay out option for a second time, this time under a more rigid system spearheaded by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, one which operates on a departmental level.
The new set of buyout offers comes within the scope of an overarching mandate aimed at streamlining federal operations issued at the Defense, Transportation, Agriculture, and Energy Departments, along with several other departments. The objective? To enable a further reduction to the American government’s workforce, a principal goal for the latter half of Trump’s term in office.
This wave follows January’s “Fork in the Road” program, which gave out an unprecedented offer to federal workers, resign in February, but retain full pay with benefits until September. This program was projected to slash the civilian workforce of America by five to ten percent, and the first phase alone saw around seventy five thousand people signing up. Lowering the civilian workforce from 3% to 2% altogether was lower than the target outlined by the program.
New Deadlines, New Rules
This time the offers come with individual eligibility rules alongside agency specific deadlines, meaning they are more stringent within their parameters:
Employees from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have a deadline of April 11.
Employees from the General Services Administration (GSA) have until April 18, and they are not excluded from it, even those on reduction-in-force lists.
In an internal memo, Secretary of Defense Chet Hegseth relayed the clear intention of the admin. “Increase participation to reduce future involuntary cuts,” he said. “Exemptions rarely exist.”
At some departments, however, certain vital staff remain covered under the most recent offer. The Transportation Department, for example, has removed most positions except for air traffic controllers, aviation and rail cybersecurity professionals, and safety inspectors.
Still, Layoffs are Expected
With these offered voluntary exits, the government still remains active. Agencies have begun additional rounds of layoffs and firings since the first phase ended as part of the more militant campaign spearheaded by Musk’s team. This hasn't been without its consequences. There are now dozens of lawsuits winding their way through the courts challenging the magnitude and legality of the dismissals.
Most federal employees will now have these options available which makes the chances of claiming it pretty slim. Leaving with excess cash sounds better than being mopped up in another round of cuts, but it's a tough call.
As deadlines draw near, thousands of federal workers are considering their choices and observing how the government’s restructuring is going, closely watching what it will mean at the end.
