Elon Musk has granted U.S. federal employees another opportunity to justify their work after his original deadline passed on Tuesday, leaving many workers uncertain about their job security.
Musk, the world’s richest man and a key supporter of former President Donald Trump, had initially given federal employees until Monday night to submit a summary of their recent work accomplishments. However, multiple federal agencies instructed their staff to ignore the directive.
The initiative is part of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to reduce federal staffing and expenditures. “Subject to the President’s discretion, they will be given another chance,” Musk announced on his social media platform, X, on Monday night. He warned that failure to comply a second time would result in termination, though he did not specify a new deadline.
Confusion Across Federal Agencies
The directive, which affected over two million federal employees, created widespread uncertainty as agencies struggled to determine its legitimacy. Many departments, including some led by Trump-appointed officials, advised employees to disregard the request temporarily.
Musk criticized the lack of responses, calling the task “utterly trivial” and suggesting that resistance was encouraged by some managers. He claimed the request was merely a test to confirm whether employees could respond to an email.
Meanwhile, the Department of Defense instructed its staff to pause their responses, while the FBI, State Department, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence also advised their workers against complying. Concerns over cybersecurity were raised by the Department of Health and Human Services, warning employees to assume their responses could be accessed by foreign actors.
Unions and Lawmakers Push Back
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employees’ union, vowed to fight any unlawful dismissals. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concern, with Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah urging Musk to show compassion, noting that federal workers have mortgages and families to support.
Despite mounting legal challenges, Musk has remained firm on his approach. Some lawsuits seeking to block his directives have been unsuccessful, though a federal judge recently prohibited the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management from sharing sensitive information with DOGE.
As confusion continues, many federal employees await further instructions, unsure of how their responses—or lack thereof—will impact their future employment.
