White House: Government employees who resign are not expected to work

• While the offer has been characterized as a "buyout," workers told Axios — and posted in message boards — that the documents they've received are unclear as to whether they'd be asked to work after tendering their resignation.
• Workers want clarity: Is this really a "buyout" or will they just be working at home? And does the federal government guarantee they'll keep getting paid?

Zoom in: The White House official's comments offered some clarity but didn't mollify many. They echo those from DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency, on X.com.

• And from Elon Musk on Wednesday morning, who posted on X: "Those deciding to take the deferred resignation deal can do anything they want for the next 8 months and are not required to work at all whatsoever."

Where it stands: The FAQ posted by the Office of Personnel Management last night says, "Except in rare cases determined by your agency, you are not expected to work."

• But a form letter that employees were asked to sign if they chose to resign says, "I understand that my employing agency will likely make adjustments in response to my resignation including moving, eliminating, consolidating, reassigning my position and tasks, reducing my official duties and/or placing me on leave."
• That makes it sound to some recipients as though leave was one option — not the only option for those who take the offer.
• It left many wondering what happens next. Does reducing official duties mean no more work?

Zoom out: The senior official said resigning workers might have to do tasks that include customary duties performed when leaving a job — like returning a government-issued laptop — but they will vary from agency to agency and job to job.

• Agencies also have discretion to carve out exceptions — for example, they may not want, say, all of the country's food inspectors to resign.

What they're saying: The information in the FAQ and the tweet from Musk seem to contradict the memo that went out to workers Tuesday, said one lawyer who works for the federal government and asked for anonymity to speak freely.

• "My definition of a buyout is that they give you a check and you walk away," they said.

• The memo says, "If you resign under this program, you will retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload."
• That's not what a buyout is, they said.

"We're telling our members not to resign because there's really no guarantee ... that they'll get paid," said Everett Kelley, president of AFGE, a union that represents 800,000 federal workers, from lawyers to janitors.

• He told Axios he wasn't aware of any members who have agreed to resign.
• Kelly notes that the federal government is only funded through March 14, so the White House can't guarantee workers will get paid after that.
• The prospect of paying huge numbers of workers to sit at home and not work is exactly the kind of situation that lawmakers might look to cut in budget talks. (Particularly given the new focus on government efficiency at the White House.)

The other side: An administration official tells Axios that people who choose to take deferred leave are in no different a situation than other federal workers when it comes to budget talks.

• Whether you choose to stay in your job or take the deal, everyone is in the same boat on March 14.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with details on, and reactions to, the offer.