The Trump administration is offering almost every federal worker the “deal of a lifetime” with the Deferred Resignation program. The letter titled “A Fork In the Road” sent out by the Office of Personnel Management, had an amount of candor not normally used by a federal agency.
Some of it’s greatest hits include:
“The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work.”
“Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.”
“At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.”
“Upon review of the below deferred resignation letter, if you wish to resign: 1) Select “Reply” to this email. You must reply from your government account. A reply from an account other than your .gov or .mil account will not be accepted. 2) Type the word “Resign” into the body of this reply email. Hit “Send”.
And this doozy from the FAQs about getting a job while on deferred resignation
“The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.”
The letter offered the employee a chance to resign but still collect a paycheck and benefits until September 30th, 2025.
The administration says that over 65,000 workers have accepted this deal so far, although a federal judge has halted the program until lawsuits from unions and other interested parties can be sorted out.
The program comes with lots of questions and a rare opportunity to imagine a paid break from working. We (Monica and Shawn) got on the mics to discuss things to consider when deciding if you should take this deal.
Can you return to the government in the future? (Good news the FAQ says yes!) And will you retain your status, meaning if you left as a G11, will you be able to return as one?
What will you do with your eightish months of free time?
How can you use your skills to find other work in another area?
Do you want one less Native person representing in the federal government?*
*That last on is a bit of a guilt trip.
What would you do with your free time?
Shawn says he would probably do chores around the house and maybe finally build his daughter a tree house.
Monica says she would travel, likely start and not finish some crochet project and then panic and go get a new job.
Whatever the decision, it’s always a good idea to think through your choice, and weigh the pros and cons.
