Musk orders federal workers to justify works or to quit

In an unprecedented move, Elon Musk has given federal employees less than 48 hours to explain their achievements from the past week, causing confusion within key government agencies. Musk, known for his cost-cutting initiatives as President Donald Trump’s adviser, announced the directive on his social media platform, X, on Saturday.

Musk posted that in line with Trump’s instructions, all federal workers would soon receive an email asking them to outline their accomplishments from the previous week.

Failure to respond would be treated as a resignation. Shortly after, many federal employees, including court staff and federal prison officials, received a brief email requesting a list of five accomplishments, with the deadline set for Monday night at 11:59 p.m.

The unusual request has created chaos within multiple federal agencies, including the National Weather Service, State Department, and federal courts, as employees scrambled to verify the authenticity of the directive. In some cases, supervisors instructed their teams not to reply.

Musk’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce have already led to widespread layoffs and buyouts in agencies such as Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and the IRS. Labor unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), quickly denounced the order, threatening legal action and accusing Musk and Trump of disrespecting federal employees.

Musk, celebrating his new role, recently vowed to cut bureaucratic waste, using a symbolic chainsaw to represent his efforts. The Office of Personnel Management confirmed the directive but stated that individual agencies would determine their next steps. Court officials and the National Weather Service have advised employees not to respond until the email's authenticity is confirmed.