On Saturday, the employees of the entire federal government received an email from the Personnel Management Office (OPM), demanding an answer with “approx. 5 bullets of what you achieved last week.” In X, Elon Musk published that the lack of response “will be taken as a resignation.” The result? Confusion, chaos and resentment between a federal workforce that feels increasingly under attack.
“So fucking fool,” says an air traffic controller who received the email and was granted anonymity for fear of compensation.
The leaders of many agencies seem to have been taken by surprise. In the Oceanic and Atmospheric National Administration (NOAA), which houses the National Meteorological Service, some managers initially warned against responding to the email in case it was a Phishing attempt. Another NOAA employee tells them to be noted that they would not start session in their work email after receiving it.
Other workers were received with conflicting guidance from their managers. In the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which anticipates the deep cuts orchestrated by the so -called Government Efficiency Department (Doge), some employees informed that they were told that they expected more guidance, while others say that their managers instructed the people to fulfill.
Email seems to have been sent even to federal judges. “We understand that some judges and judicial personnel have received an email from [email protected],” an email from the office of the Department of Administrative Services for the Federal Courts of the United States. “Keep in mind that this email did not originate in the Judiciary or the administrative office and suggest that measures are not taken.”
At least a military personnel also received email, and they have been told to wait for the orientation of the Department of Defense. This retention pattern seems to be the answer in most agencies, where workers say they have not yet heard of superior leadership if they should handle this last escalation in the continuous efforts of Musk and Doge to drastically reduce the federal workforce. In the National Health Institutes, for example, in an email with the subject line “please, wait guidance”, some workers were told that “the information is close”, without any indication of when or who.
Another consideration for many is not only if they should answer, but how. While OPM email specified that employees should not send information, links or classified attachments that severely limit how workers from many government agencies could respond.
“National Security personnel are receiving notification of the OPM application, which is taking them from the important work of guaranteeing national security interests,” said a source, who was granted anonymity due to the nature of their work. “These are essential employees that keep us safe.”
“The Executive Committee is reviewing this application to determine the appropriate guidelines on what information can be shared outside the agency,” says an email from the La Moneda Comptroller’s office, which is within the Treasury Department. “Please wait an additional guide.”
NBC news reported On Saturday that even Kash Patel, the newly installed director of the Federal Office of Research and nearby ally of President Donald Trump, has instructed employees not to respond to OPM email.