Federal workers have been been issued a demand to outline their weekly work from Elon Musk – and failure to comply could result in losing their job.
The memo, sent with the subject “What did you do last week?”, came from a sender listed as HR.
According to the message, government employees must send a brief list of five bullet points outlining their weekly work—excluding any classified details—by midnight on Monday.
While the email hints that a failure to respond may be treated as a resignation, it does not explicitly state this.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed that the email was genuine.
In a statement to CBS, OPM said:
“As part of the Trump administration’s commitment to an efficient and accountable federal workforce, OPM is asking employees to provide a brief summary of what they did last week by the end of Monday, CC’ing their manager.
“Agencies will determine any next steps.”
Key points in the email include:
- A request for a brief summary of weekly work.
- A requirement to include five bullet points.
- A reminder to avoid disclosing classified information.
- A warning, implicit though not stated, that non-response could be seen as resignation.
Reactions from Government and Unions
The email has sparked a strong reaction across various levels of government. High-ranking officials and unions have expressed deep concern about the new measures.
Federal Leaders Speak Out
FBI Director Kash Patel instructed his team to “pause any responses” as the department plans to review the situation using its own procedures. Similarly, the State Department announced that it would handle responses internally through the proper chain of command.
Union Backlash
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) slammed the email as “cruel and disrespectful.”
AFGE President Everett Kelley said:
“Once again, Elon Musk and the Trump Administration have shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.”
Administration and Musk’s Role
The memo comes as part of a broader initiative led by the Trump administration to cut federal spending and reduce the size of the workforce.
Trump’s remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) reinforced this message.
Speaking to a supportive crowd, the president highlighted his goal to “remove all of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats” from the federal workforce.
He stressed only the best workers should remain.
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has taken a major role in the new Department of Government Efficiency (nicknamed DOGE).
On his social media platform X, Musk warned government workers are not keeping up with their duties.
He claimed:
- Employees are not checking their email.
- Some workers are doing little to no work.
- There are claims of “non-existent people or the identities of dead people” being used to collect paychecks—accusations he labeled as “outright fraud.”
Musk said many responses to the memo had already been received.
He suggested those who answer promptly and adequately should be considered for promotion.
His stance is similar to the tough measures he introduced at Twitter (now X), where staff were given ultimatums to either commit fully or leave.
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The Bigger Picture
This email is just the latest move in a series of government-cutting measures.
Over the past weeks, thousands of federal workers have been fired from major agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Pentagon, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The administration’s drive aims to slim down the federal workforce and boost efficiency by targeting what they consider underperformance.
The changes raise important questions:
- Will demanding weekly summaries improve accountability and performance?
- How will these measures affect morale among long-serving federal workers?
- Can the promise of a leaner government deliver better results for the public?
These questions remain unanswered as government agencies work to balance cost-cutting with the need to maintain essential services.
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Final Outlook: Efficiency or Erosion?
Key takeaways from this latest development include:
- Stringent Reporting: Federal workers now face a weekly checklist of accomplishments.
- Government Overhaul: The policy is part of a broader effort to reduce spending and staff numbers.
- Diverging Reactions: While Musk and Trump support the changes, many government leaders and unions have raised concerns.
- Future Uncertainty: The long-term impact on federal service quality and employee morale is still unclear.
The new measures signal a major shift in how federal work is monitored and managed. Whether these changes will lead to a more efficient government or erode the stability of public service remains to be seen.
