Elon Musk has given US federal workers “another chance” to justify their work or face termination after his initial deadline passed on Tuesday, sparking confusion and resistance across government agencies.
Musk, a major donor to President Donald Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initially ordered all federal employees to submit a report detailing their weekly achievements by Monday night. However, multiple agencies instructed staff to ignore the directive, raising legal and cybersecurity concerns.
“Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance,” Musk posted on X. “Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had sent an email to over two million federal employees demanding “approximately five bullets of what you accomplished last week.” Musk defended the move as a basic test of engagement, while Trump called it “ingenious.”
Despite the directive, agencies like the FBI, the State Department, and the Department of Defense advised employees to disregard the request. Concerns about cybersecurity also arose, with the Department of Health and Human Services warning that responses could be accessed by foreign actors.
While some departments, such as the Treasury, supported Musk’s initiative as an accountability measure, federal unions and lawmakers have pushed back. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) vowed to challenge any unlawful dismissals, and some Republicans have urged Musk to approach the situation with “compassion.”
Meanwhile, lawsuits challenging Musk’s directives are mounting, with a federal judge blocking the Education Department and OPM from sharing sensitive employee data with DOGE.
Musk, however, remains undeterred. “This mess will get sorted out this week. A lot of people are in for a rude awakening,” he stated.
