Staff Reports
Federal employees are about to feel the sting of accountability, courtesy of President Trump’s efficiency czar, Elon Musk. In a move reminiscent of high school detention, every federal worker will soon receive an email demanding to detail what they’ve accomplished in the past week. Failure to respond means you’re about as employed as a flat tire on a Monday morning—consider it a resignation.
Musk, proving that he might just have a knack for getting things done, announced via social media that these emails would be rolling out shortly. The subject line is nothing less than blunt: “What did you do last week?” Federal workers are expected to list approximately five bulleted accomplishments and, for the love of the Constitution, leave out any classified business. Responses are due by the end of Monday, leaving just enough time to realize how little they might have actually done over the past week.
Interestingly, the threat of termination that Musk touted seems to be conspicuously absent from the email itself. A little verbal flair from Musk, perhaps? It’s not surprising that the bureaucracy is still managing to creep along, even as the Trump administration pushes for a leaner federal workforce. The previous efforts, which included persuading over 77,000 workers to take a deferred resignation and whittling down probationary employees, hint at the drastic measures being taken to cleanse the swamp.
Elon Musk directs federal workers to justify workweek or be fired, gets pushback from FBI chief, unionhttps://t.co/bJSZF46XOA pic.twitter.com/25PxxIic7G
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 23, 2025
This latest initiative feeds into Trump’s ongoing agenda to trim the bloated federal government. The orders to collaborate with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are part of a broader directive to implement large-scale staff reductions. Just last week, the Pentagon dropped the bombshell that it plans to let go of about 5,400 employees. It’s a show of strength that must have the federal workforce shaking in their bureaucratic boots.
Legal authority aside, it’s hard to ignore the urgency behind Musk’s call for action. With leadership from Trump pushing for more swiftness, Musk’s Twitter post indicates he’s being encouraged to crack the whip even harder. Whether or not he has the legal muscle to follow through on mass terminations is yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure—this new policy will certainly ruffle some feathers in the ranks of federal workers, compelling them to reconsider their engagement in good old-fashioned hard work.
