Federal employees have until midnight to submit their recent work achievements. This requirement, initiated by Elon Musk, has stirred up concerns among workers in the government sector.
Musk and former President Donald Trump have hinted that failure to comply could lead to job loss. They view this request for a list of five tasks completed last week as a sensible way to boost accountability in the federal workforce.
However, many employees are feeling anxious and confused as the new administration asserts its authority over the government. Some agencies are advising their staff not to respond fully, mirroring guidance from the previous month when Musk first made this request.
From now on, workers can expect to provide these weekly accomplishment reports every Monday. There are about 2.4 million federal workers, not including active-duty military and postal staff, with the majority based outside the Washington, D.C. area.
For instance, employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received three emails on the day of the request, each offering updates and instructions. They were advised to reply with high-level summaries and to avoid sharing sensitive information or naming coworkers.
Similar instructions came from the Department of Energy. Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that employees should not include classified information or attachments. If all their tasks were sensitive, they could simply state, “All of my activities are sensitive.”
At the State Department, leaders opted to respond on behalf of their workers. Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Prisons allowed employees to mention that sharing their duties might threaten security. Justice Department staff were initially told not to reply, but later received orders to comply with the new instructions from the Office of Personnel Management.
Even the FBI workforce was reminded that prior guidance to hold off on responses still stands.
The initial request for accomplishment lists started last month, and the Office of Personnel Management clarified later that it would be optional, despite Musk’s warnings about potential layoffs. Now, some of the requests are coming directly from individual agencies, which have the authority to manage their employees.
Musk described this reporting requirement as a simple “pulse check” during a Cabinet meeting. He stated, “If you have a pulse and two neurons, you can reply to an email.”
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Source linkElon Musk, Donald Trump, Labor, General news, Washington news, Christopher Wright, Kash Patel, District of Columbia, United States government, Government and politics, Department of Government Efficiency, Politics
