On Saturday, employees across the federal government received an email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) requesting a reply detailing “approximately 5 bullets of accomplishments from the previous week.” Elon Musk posted on platform X that noncompliance would “be taken as a resignation,” leading to significant confusion and discontent among federal employees who increasingly perceive themselves to be under scrutiny.
An air traffic controller, who chose to remain anonymous to avoid retribution, criticized the situation, describing it negatively. Numerous agency leaders seemed unprepared for the directive. At the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes the National Weather Service, some managers initially warned employees against responding to the email, suspecting it might be a phishing scam. Another NOAA employee reported being advised not to access their work email following receipt of the message.
At the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where substantial workforce reductions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are anticipated, employees received mixed instructions. Some were told to wait for further guidance, while others were directed to comply with the email’s request.
The directive reportedly also reached federal judges. An email from the Department of Administrative Services for US Federal Courts informed recipients that the communication did not originate from the Judiciary or the Administrative Office, and recommended not taking any action.
Military personnel reportedly received the email as well, and were advised to await instructions from the Department of Defense. This wait-and-see approach seems prevalent across many agencies, with workers indicating they have not received directions from senior leadership on how to handle the situation. At the National Institutes of Health, an email titled “Please Await Guidance” advised that more information would be provided, though it did not specify a timeline or source for this guidance.
Employees face the challenge of how to reply to the email, which stipulates avoiding the inclusion of classified information, links, or attachments, thereby restricting responses from those in sensitive positions. National security staff have also been distracted by the request, pulling them away from critical security work, according to a source who spoke anonymously due to the nature of their job.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, part of the Treasury Department, sent an email stating that its Executive Committee is reviewing the request to establish guidelines on what information can be shared externally, advising employees to wait for further instructions.
NBC News reported that even Kash Patel, the newly appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ally of President Donald Trump, instructed employees not to respond to the OPM’s email.
