40,000 Federal Workers Accept Trump Administration’s Buyout Offer Despite Unions Advising Against It

Around 40,000 federal workers have accepted the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) buyout offer by the Feb. 6 deadline in its attempt to drastically reduce the size of the federal workforce and sift out uncommitted workers. Workers unions advised against it, stirring up confusion about its legality despite assurances from the administration.

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) cautioned workers “not to take the Trump administration’s vague offer with conflicting details.” The union sued to block the offer.

“Union leaders and politicians telling federal workers to reject this offer are doing them a serious disservice. This is a rare, generous opportunity — one that was thoroughly vetted and intentionally designed to support employees through restructuring,” said OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinover, the agency’s spokesperson.

All federal employees have been offered eight months of pay and benefits through September if they resign. However, there is uncertainty about whether the White House has the authority over Congress to offer paychecks to workers who quit.

Workers who accept the offer risk being forced to take administrative leave and possible furloughs if they return to the office. The Office of Personnel Management’s email coordinating the buyout notes that “the majority of federal agencies will be downsized.”

On Tuesday, 20,000 of the approximately 2.3 million workers eligible for the buyout were reported to have accepted the offer. On Wednesday, news outlets reported that the number had increased to nearly 40,000. The buyouts are now being extended to CIA employees as they implement a hiring freeze despite being exempt from the initial offer.

Most of the details in the OPM memo refer to the agencies determining how their workforce will move forward after the matter, including that in rare cases, employees may still be expected to work during their eight months of administrative leave.

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk has framed the buyout as an opportunity for exiting employees to “take the vacation you always wanted, or just watch movies and chill.”