The Trump administration’s e mail to federal workers demanding that they clarify what they did at work final week is “plainly unlawful” and must be retracted, a federal union mentioned Sunday.
In a letter to the Workplace of Personnel Administration, Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Authorities Workers, mentioned the e-mail “fails to cite any legal authority” for its demand, and violates legal guidelines delegating administration authority to federal company leaders.
“We believe that employees have no obligation to respond to this plainly unlawful email absent other lawful direction,” wrote Kelley, whose union represents 800,000 staff. “I am also requesting that OPM rescind the email and apologize to all federal employees.”
He went on to say the e-mail left staff feeling “undervalued and intimidated.”
The e-mail ― and a put up on X selling it from Elon Musk, head of President Donald Trump’s so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity ― sparked outrage throughout the federal workforce over the weekend. It ordered recipients to “reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.”
The e-mail had a topic line that learn, “What did you do last week?” and offered a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Monday.
“Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation,” Musk threatened.
The demand is simply the most recent insult Musk and the White Home have hurled at federal staff as they attempt to push them out of their jobs. Along with attempting to unilaterally shut down federal businesses, the Trump administration has pressured workers to just accept a legally shaky deferred resignation program, and fired 1000’s of probationary hires with doubtful justification.
Jose Luis Magana through Related Press
In his letter Sunday, Kelley famous that the “what did you do last week?” observe was not solely impolite, it was additionally a wasteful distraction. By the use of instance, he mentioned an air site visitors controller on the Federation Aviation Administration and a surgeon on the Veterans Affairs Division shouldn’t should spend time justifying their work to individuals who don’t even handle them.
“OPM is actively pulling federal employees away from their critical duties without regard for the consequences,” he mentioned. The confusion, he added, was “not just inappropriate – it is disruptive to essential government functions.”
He additionally mentioned it was reckless to permit the “unelected and unhinged” Musk dictate OPM coverage.
Over the weekend, federal staff throughout the nation had been awaiting steerage from their company leaders on methods to reply, if in any respect. The Protection Division was amongst these advising workers to “pause any response” to the e-mail, and asserting administration authority over its personal workers.
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“The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures,” the company mentioned on X.
Are you a federal worker with one thing to share? You’ll be able to e mail our reporter right here, or contact him over Sign at davejamieson.99.
