‘Fork in the Road’ Email: Trump’s Federal Workers Buyout Offer

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Federal workers got an eyebrow-raising email in their inboxes on Tuesday, January 28, and many are calling it a buyout by Donald Trump. As the new administration indicated, the federal workforce is undergoing a change in order to cut back on government spending. The recent email that workers got was sent with the subject line, “Fork in the Road,” which some pointed out compared to the message that Elon Musk submitted to Twitter workers in 2022, per NPR.

Below, read the contents of the federal “Fork in the Road” email and learn about the “deferred resignation program” that Trump’s administration introduced.

How May Federal Employees Are There?

The U.S. Government currently has about 3 million people in its workforce, according to several outlets including CNN.

What Did the ‘Fork in the Road’ Email Say?

Federal workers shared the contents of the email across social media. The message was sent with the subject line, “Fork in the Road,” and listed the new requirements for government employees under Trump’s administration, which include returning to in-person work, restoring “accountability for employees who have policy-making authority,” restoring “accountability for senior career executives” and reforming “the federal hiring process to focus on merit,” according to the letter shared by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

FLASHBACK: The email sent yesterday to US federal workers by the Trump administration is very similar to the email Elon sent to Twitter staff in November 2022 – even down to the title, "a fork in the road". pic.twitter.com/O1sHAE3p8V

— X Daily News (@xDaily) January 29, 2025

The letter also listed the “four pillars” that are part of Trump’s reformation for the federal workforce. The following are the pillars listed in the email:

“Return to office: The substantial majority of federal employees who have been working remotely since Covid will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers. Performance culture: The federal workforce should be comprised of the best America has to offer. We will insist on excellence at every level — our performance standards will be updated to reward and promote those that exceed expectations and address in a fair and open way those who do not meet the high standards which the taxpayers of this country have a right to demand. More streamlined and flexible workforce: While a few agencies and even branches of the military are likely to see increases in the size of their workforce, the majority of federal agencies are likely to be downsized through restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force. These actions are likely to include the use of furloughs and the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number of federal employees. Enhanced standards of conduct: The federal workforce should be comprised of employees who are reliable, loyal, trustworthy, and who strive for excellence in their daily work. Employees will be subject to enhanced standards of suitability and conduct as we move forward. Employees who engage in unlawful behavior or other misconduct will be prioritized for appropriate investigation and discipline, including termination.”

The “deferred resignation” email further informed workers that should they accept the offer, they must send an email to OPM from their government accounts with the subject line “Resign.”

Does This Mean Trump Is Firing Federal Employees?

Earlier this month, Trump announced a plan to terminate certain federal programs to cut back on spending. One of the programs he focused on was diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and employees. These workers were placed on paid leave for the time being.

In the recent “deferred resignation” email that federal workers received, they were told that if they choose to remain in their positions, the government “cannot give [them] full assurance regarding the certainty of [their] position or agency but should [their] position be eliminated, [they] will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.”

However, for anyone who does not accept the offer, the letter thanked them for their service and assured workers they “will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program,” which began on Tuesday, January 28, and will be available to all federal workers until Thursday, February 6.

The letter further stated that anyone who resigns under this resignation program will “retain all pay and benefits regardless of your daily workload and will be exempted from all applicable in-person work requirements until September 30, 2025 (or earlier if you choose to accelerate your resignation for any reason).”