Federal workers who took Trump buyout feel fear, regret after judge's order
Source: Washington Post
So whats the next step? a Reddit user wrote Thursday on a forum for federal government employees, which was filled with a mix of celebration and concern after the judges ruling. They accept the resignations and then dont pay people when this is ultimately struck down?
The administrations messaging hasnt done much to alleviate confusion. On Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management informed federal employees, There will NOT be an extension of this program. Two days later, the Justice Department urged OToole not to pause the program, warning of serious harm to the federal government.
But after OTooles ruling, OPM pushed the deadline back to 11:59 Monday, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News, We are grateful to the judge for extending the deadline so more federal workers who refuse to show up to the office can take the Administration up on this very generous, once-in-a-lifetime offer.
The whiplash has been intense for the OPM employee, who felt compelled to take the deal because shed learned her team was slated to be dismantled after the office was directed to cut 70 percent of its staff. Her colleagues accepted the offer warily, she said. Everyones already worried theyre going to get scammed, she said. And then it comes down with a halt.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/02/08/federal-workers-deferred-resignation-judge-ruling/
Here's something federal workers can count on: Trump is lying.

groundloop
(12,791 posts)The Blue Flower
(5,803 posts)And knew he was breaking them. They signed up for nothing. And no one's coming to help them. It's sickening. I feel sorry for them and their families.
UpInArms
(52,669 posts)Over the past several months and, indeed, the past few decades reporters have unearthed many alarming stories that show this. Theyve reported on Trumps many shady business practices. His shady charity. His shady fake university scam. His shady campaign spending. His many shady associates. And, last but by no means least, there is Trumps refusal to release tax returns or other financial information that would shed further light on his business practices, associates, and philanthropic undertakings.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/9/28/12904136/donald-trump-corrupt
tanyev
(46,179 posts)Fer cryin out loud, he just ran the Fork in the Road scam on Twitter employees a couple years ago.
Think. Again.
(22,330 posts)Septua
(2,757 posts)They need to quit believing anything Trump, Musk and MAGA says until they fact check it. I was just over at X-crement and read a post talking about 'allegations' that were 'supposedly' confirmed by Musk and Trump and the allegation has already been exposed as false.
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes
You can't fix stupid...
Wiz Imp
(4,796 posts)but it's really hard to. I mean, Trump's history of dishonesty is no secret, and I believe all the unions were telling workers to reject it. What were they thinking? They shot themselves in the foot and now have to live with it. They really should have known better.
Some may be vested and just a year, or two short of being able to start drawing their pensions.
Others may be vested, but well short of the age to begin drawing their pensions, and plan to take dererred retirement and look for another job.
Some may also think that this is all bullshit, and once Donnie Dipshit and the Returdlicans crash the US into an iceberg, they will be hired back, with backpay.
Everyone's situation is different. The only constant is that Donnie Dipshit is a fascist, but the stupidest fascist in history.
Evolve Dammit
(20,540 posts)Progressive dog
(7,463 posts)and those who perpetrated it should have to pay for it.
Deminpenn
(16,745 posts)Federal civil servants can quit anytime, but may leave with nothing more than experience, thrift savings plan assets and credits toward social security benefit.
They can retire if they meet she and service time requirements.
An agency can offer SIP/VERA but that is usually targeted to specific grades and/or series.
If none of the above reduce the workforce to the desired level, then the agency asks for RIF authority where civil servants have bump and retreat rights.
Anything else is not a real thing.
MLWR
(291 posts)need to get together, find a good lawyer and file a class action suit. NOW.
Nasruddin
(997 posts)It's kind of a version of the Nigerian prince scam.
You get promised a large sum of money if you only put a little thing up right now (namely - your name as a candidate).
You can just kick back and do nothing for 8 months.
At the end, there's nothing, you are terminated for cause (no productivity for 8 mos) and probably denied any benefits including basic unemployment. Or perhaps you're on the hook for some further extortion.
TicketyBoo
(2,004 posts)
it's not really a "buyout," and if I'm right, I wish all the newspeople would quit calling it that.
Many federal employees have been working ar home since COVID. Trump has ordered them back to their offices. If they want to keep working at home they have to do a "deferred resignation." They resign effective September 30, but keep working from home until that date.
There is no lump-sum "buyout" offer. Am I wrong?
angrychair
(10,559 posts)Without approval and allocation of funding from Congress the offer is worthless.
SunSeeker
(55,540 posts)That is what Democrats and the public employee unions have been telling to anyone who will listen.
larwdem
(860 posts)You have to be a magat to believe Dump so fuck em.
Mr. Scorpio
(73,759 posts)Why would they do that?
Deminpenn
(16,745 posts)They had over 2 months of transition time to prepare the proper paperwork to offer SIP/VERA and ask for RIF authority. Russell Vought worked at OPM and knows what the process is. R's were going to keep the House and gained the Senate. During the transition, Trump's team could have gotten all the information it wanted on each agency's FTEs by grade and series. It would have been easy enough to be ready on Day 1 with legislation asking for SIP/VERA, RIF authority and setting FTE levels for each agency. Rs weren't going to say no to whatever Trump proposed.
It's not like there haven't been RIFs and consolidations before. DoD went through that with BRAC in the mid-90s.
There would have been no lawsuits, no outrage and everything would have proceeded apace.