Musk Vows to Suspend Federal Workers Who Don’t Return to Office

Elon Musk threatened to suspend federal workers who haven’t returned to in-office work by this week, the latest demand of government employees from the billionaire running President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting effort.

“Those who ignored President Trump’s executive order to return to work have now received over a month’s warning,” Musk said in a post Monday. “Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave.”

Trump on his first day in office ordered all heads of departments and agencies to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements,” and require all employees to return in-person to their offices.

Elon Musk, left, Donald Trump

Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg

The Office of Personnel Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday about Musk’s post and what, if any, communication federal workers could expect about return to office policies.

Trump’s mandate creates some exceptions for those with a “disability, qualifying medical condition, or other compelling reason certified by the agency head.” Military spouses working civilian jobs are also exempt.

Musk’s missive follows a directive sent over the weekend asking all federal employees to reply to an email detailing what they accomplished last week in five bullet points. Musk said on X that failure to answer the request would signal a resignation, though OPM has said it’s up to agency heads to determine any next steps. Some agencies, including the FBI and Department of Defense, instructed workers to not reply to the email.

Earlier: Musk’s Federal Worker Order Divides Trump Administration

Data from the Office of Management and Budget show that about 10% of the workforce is permanently remote — including disabled workers with a documented accommodation, military spouses and those where the nature of the work is mobile.

Federal telework guidelines long predate the national emergency that Trump declared in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, agencies were required to adopt remote work policies that encouraged many employees to work from home.

Many unions also have agreements in place for remote work, which could complicate Trump’s orders for employees to come to offices.

The White House has signaled the return to office mandate could lead to significant reductions in the federal workforce.

“We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and therefore our government will get smaller and more efficient,” Trump said last month. “And that’s what we’ve been looking to do for many, many decades, frankly.”

Since then federal employees had also been offered buyout plans that promised they would get paid through September if they left in February. About 75,000 workers took the deferred resignation deal, according to OPM.

--With assistance from Gregory Korte.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Jamie Tarabay in Washington at jtarabay2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Laura Davison at ldavison4@bloomberg.net

Megan Scully

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