Elon Musk has ordered all US federal employees to justify their work or face losing their jobs. This comment came shortly after President Donald Trump urged Musk to take a more aggressive approach to reducing government spending.
Musk, the world’s richest individual and a strong supporter of Trump, leads efforts to cut the government workforce. He announced that federal employees would soon receive an email asking them to list their accomplishments from the previous week.
The email request
The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent the email, requesting employees to share “approximately five bullets of what you accomplished last week.” The subject line said “What did you do last week?” and the response deadline was 11:59 pm on the following Monday. Although the email did not explicitly mention termination, it implied that failure to reply could result in job loss.
The OPM did not comment on Saturday evening’s request.
Unions respond to Musk
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal workers’ union, vowed to challenge any unlawful dismissals. National president Everett Kelley criticised the action, claiming it showed Musk and the Trump administration’s disregard for federal employees and the services they provide.
Kelley stated, “It is disrespectful to veterans in civilian roles who must justify their duties to someone who has never served in public office.”
Employees’ reactions
Several federal workers, including those at the Department of Veterans Affairs, voiced frustration with the email. Their agencies advised them to wait for further instructions before responding. Some employees, like a physician at the VA, stressed that patient care should remain their priority, not unnecessary bureaucracy.
One worker said, “I have too much work to do. I’m not going to neglect patient care for this drama.”
Musk clarifies the request
Musk later downplayed the request, saying the bar for responses was low. On X (formerly Twitter), he commented, “An email with some bullet points that make sense at all is acceptable.”
Trump’s encouragement
Earlier, Trump praised Musk’s efforts while urging him to be more aggressive. On Truth Social, he stated, “Remember, we have a country to save.”
Trump appointed Musk to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk’s task is to cut public spending and address alleged waste and corruption.
As part of ongoing budget cuts, the US Department of Defense announced on Friday that it would reduce its civilian workforce by at least 5 percent, starting next week.
