Trump Admin: Majority of Federal Agencies to Be Downsized

The Office of Personnel Management sent a memo to the entire federal workforce on Tuesday, outlining four pillars for a "reformed" workforce that included guidance that a majority of federal agencies are "likely to be downsized."

The memo, obtained by HuffPost, added that branches of the military and a few agencies will likely see the size of their workforce increase.

The four pillars outlined by OPM are:

1. Return to work: Employees are "required to return to their physical offices five days a week."
2. Performance Culture: "Federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer."
3. More streamlined and flexible workforce: Majority of agencies will be downsized "through restructurings, realignments and reductions in force."
4. Enhanced standards of conduct: "Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct."

Regarding return-to-work, the memo instructs that the physical location it's demanding people report back to could change depending on "consolidation and divestitures" of office buildings and spaces.

As for the third point, the memo said it will use "furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of employees."

Further, OPM reminded employees that the "deferred resignation program" ("Fork in the road") expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, adding that anyone who wishes to "pursue" the program should reply to the email with the word "resign," according to the memo.

Employees who resign under the program retain all pay and benefits without in-person work requirements until Sept. 30, unless they depart sooner, according to the memo. In fact, Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk previously said employees who accept don't have to work at all.

"Can take the vacation you always wanted, or just watch movies and chill, while receiving your full government pay and benefits," he wrote last week.

More than 20,000 workers so far have accepted deferred resignation as of Tuesday morning, it was reported. President Donald Trump and Musk are hoping to cut 10% of the federal workforce.

Even employees who vow to stay and accept the new terms laid out by OPM are not assured of their position, according to the memo.

"At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions," the memo read.

The federal government employs more than 3 million people, which makes it roughly the nation's 15th largest workforce. The average tenure for a federal employee is nearly 12 years, according to analysis by the Pew Research Center.

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