Elon Musk, appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, is standing firm on his threat to fire federal workers who fail to justify their jobs, despite pushback from the White House.
Over the weekend, Musk emailed federal employees demanding they summarize their work or risk termination. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) responded by advising employees that they were not required to respond and would not be fired for ignoring the email.
As the response deadline passed on Monday, Musk took to his social media platform, X, to express his frustration. “The email request was utterly trivial, as the standard for passing the test was to type some words and press send! Yet so many failed even that inane test, urged on in some cases by their managers,” he posted.
He added, “Subject to the discretion of the president, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”
The White House has not commented on Musk’s remarks. It’s unclear if Musk was aware of the OPM’s guidance, which also cautioned employees against sharing confidential, sensitive, or classified information—a key concern raised by critics of Musk’s directive.
Despite the OPM’s memo, some agencies encouraged employees to respond. At the General Services Administration, a senior manager told staff that while replying was voluntary, it was still encouraged. The Department of Health and Human Services advised employees that if they chose to respond, they should keep their answers general and avoid disclosing specific projects.
Musk’s initiative to downsize the government, known as DOGE, has also impacted the broader economy, causing companies that do business with the government to lay off workers and delay payments to vendors.
The situation has created widespread confusion across federal agencies, raising questions about Musk’s authority within the administration and the future of federal employment.
