(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)
A demand issued by Elon Musk that federal workers respond to an email asking them to justify their jobs or resign has been walked back by the agency which sent the email.
Late Saturday, personnel from a host of federal agencies were sent an email with the subject line “What did you do last week?” The email — sent by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) — essentially demanded federal employees justify their jobs.
“Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager,” the email said. “Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.”
But there was pushback across the federal government. Numerous top officials, including notably FBI Director Kash Patel, advised their teams not to reply to the email. The deadline to respond was set for Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET — and Musk warned the consequences would be serious for those who ignored the email.
“Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done
But multiple outlets are now reporting that will not be the case. According to CNN, The Hill and others, OPM informed agency leaders — in an email Monday afternoon — that responses are no longer mandatory.
“This afternoon, OPM during a Chief Human Capital Officers Council meeting, informed agencies that employee responses to the OPM email is voluntarily,” said an email obtained by The Hill. “OPM also clarified that a non-response to the email does not equate to a resignation.”
On Monday in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump praised the initial email.
“There was a lot of genius in sending it,” Trump said. “We’re trying to find out if people are working, and so we’re sending a letter to people, ‘Please tell us what you did last week.’ If people don’t respond, it’s very possible that there is no such person or they’re not working.”