Trump Offers Buyouts to Federal Workers Amidst Workforce Reforms

Trump Administration Offers Buyouts to Federal Workers

President Donald Trump is offering buyouts to federal workers who do not wish to remain under the new administration. This offer was announced in a letter sent to government employees on January 28th, 2025.

Employees who choose to resign under this program will receive full pay and benefits through September 2025, regardless of their current workload. They will also be exempt from all in-person work requirements until that date.

The offer is available to all full-time federal employees, with some exceptions. Military personnel, US Postal Service employees, those in immigration enforcement and national security roles, and other positions specifically excluded by an agency are not eligible.

return to office, performance culture, a more streamlined and flexible workforce, and enhanced standards of conduct.

However, the memo also warns that for those who choose to stay, there is no guarantee that their role or agency will not be eliminated.

The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment.

This offer comes after President Trump signed several executive orders impacting the federal workforce since taking office on January 20th, 2025. These orders include requiring federal employees to return to the office and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at government agencies.

In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who co-led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wrote that requiring federal employees to return to the office full time would lead to "a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome."

Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, has stated that he believes the President does not have the authority to offer the deferred resignation to federal workers and has warned them not to accept the offer.