By admin 
Elon Musk has offered U.S. federal workers a second opportunity to justify their positions after an initial deadline passed, causing confusion and anxiety among staff at various federal agencies.
Musk, the wealthiest individual in the world and a significant donor to former President Donald Trump, had originally given government employees until the end of Monday to outline their recent work achievements in an email. This request was part of his broader push to reduce federal staffing and spending through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
On Monday evening, Musk stated on X (formerly Twitter) that federal workers would be given “another chance” to respond, with the possibility of termination if they failed to do so. He did not provide a new deadline for the response.
Despite the initial deadline passing, several agencies, including those led by Trump loyalists, instructed their employees to disregard the email for the time being. Musk criticized the lack of responses, describing it as “utterly trivial,” but claimed that many employees had failed to meet even this minimal expectation.
The email, which was sent to over two million federal employees, asked them to submit a brief summary of their accomplishments from the previous week. The message also stated that failure to respond would be interpreted as a resignation. This sparked confusion among federal workers, and some agencies, including the Department of Defense, advised their staff to pause their responses to the request.
Trump, in defense of Musk’s approach, described the email as “ingenious,” suggesting it would reveal whether employees were actually working. He suggested that non-responders would be “semi-fired” or fully terminated, although he did not provide further details on his reasoning.
Musk later clarified that the original email was simply a way to test if employees were engaged and capable of responding to communication. He indicated that the situation would be resolved in the coming week, adding that many workers were in for a “rude awakening.”
Government Response and Rising Opposition
As the deadline confusion spread, various agencies responded in different ways. The Defense Department advised employees to hold off on responding, while officials in the FBI, State Department, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence also told their staff not to reply. Concerns over cybersecurity were raised, with the Department of Health and Human Services warning that responses could be intercepted by malicious actors.
Meanwhile, the Treasury Department urged compliance with Musk’s request, framing it as an effort to increase accountability in the federal workforce, similar to what is seen in the private sector.
The move has faced strong opposition from unions, with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) vowing to challenge any unlawful terminations resulting from the request. Recent polls show that a majority of Americans disapprove of the disruption caused to the federal workforce.
There is also growing concern among members of Trump’s own Republican party. Utah Senator John Curtis, whose state has 33,000 federal employees, called for more compassion, urging Musk to recognize the impact on workers’ lives and livelihoods.
Several lawsuits have been filed against Musk’s actions, yielding mixed results in the courts. On Monday, a federal judge ruled that the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management could not share sensitive information with Musk’s DOGE department.
This ongoing dispute has fueled the debate over the future of government efficiency and accountability, with both supporters and critics weighing in on Musk’s controversial approach.
Gill Bikram Singh