Trump White House Pushes Federal Workers To Accept Buyout Or Return To Office

Federal employees have until Feb. 6 to decide whether they will accept a buyout from the Trump administration or return to full-time, in-office work. The administration is offering eight months of pay to employees who agree to resign as part of a broader effort to scale back the federal workforce.

An email from the Office of Personnel Management outlined the terms of the buyout, highlighting the potential benefits of seeking private sector employment. Federal workers who take the offer will receive their full government salary for several months before officially leaving their positions.

This initiative follows years of complaints about the inefficiency of the federal workforce, particularly as many employees continue to work remotely long after pandemic restrictions were lifted. A Senate investigation found that only a small percentage of federal workers—just 6%—regularly report to their offices. Government buildings in Washington, D.C., remain largely vacant, with office space occupancy hovering around 12%.

For those who choose to remain in their jobs, the administration has warned that work-from-home policies will be eliminated. Employees will be required to return to their offices full time, and agencies are expected to undergo significant restructuring to improve efficiency.

Opposition to the buyout plan has come primarily from labor unions, with the American Federation of Government Employees claiming the move unfairly pressures workers into leaving. The administration, however, argues that it is necessary to cut down on waste and hold federal workers accountable for their positions.

The federal workforce currently consists of over 3 million employees, with large concentrations in Washington, D.C., and several major states. The administration has not ruled out further reductions in federal staffing beyond the current buyout offer.