Federal court delays Trump's worker "buyout" deadline
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A federal judge on Thursday pushed back the deadline for government employees to decide whether or not to take the "buyout" offer from the Trump administration.
Why it matters: The deadline had been midnight Thursday, but there is now a restraining order until Monday.
Catch up quick: Federal employees have been uncertain about replying "resign" to the now-infamous "Fork in the road" email, as the details of the offer have changed since it was first sent out last week.
- Some union members had been told to wait for the court's ruling before making a decision.
- Earlier today workers received an email warning them, "There will NOT be an extension of this program."
- Bloomberg reported about 50,000 people have accepted the offer as of Thursday afternoon — roughly 2.5% of the federal workforce, compared to the 5% to 10% the White House was targeting.
What they're saying: "We are pleased the court temporarily paused this deadline while arguments are heard about the legality of the deferred resignation program," said Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, one of the plaintiffs, in a statement.
- "We continue to believe this program violates the law, and we will continue to aggressively defend our members' rights."
- An official from the Office of Personnel Management, which is running the process, told Axios the agency will continue processing resignations through Monday.
What's next: The administration appears poised to move from buyouts to a next phase, terminations.
- OPM sent a memo to federal agencies Thursday ordering them to submit data by March 7 on how they manage employee performance.
- The memo also orders them to identify any barriers to firing "poor performing employees who cannot or will not improve."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with reporting on the buyout's performance.
