Good Morning!
Today’s the day. Millions of federal workers who received an unprecedented resignation offer from the Trump administration last week must decide whether they’re willing to go into the office five days a week, or leave now and (potentially) be paid through September.
Fortune’s Sara Braun spoke with three federal workers across different government agencies who are grappling with what they should do. These employees, who prefer to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, shared how they’re thinking about the deal, as well as their anger and sadness over how they’ve been treated by President Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.
“It’s heartbreaking, it’s disgusting, it makes me want to quit,” says a female employee who works for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “But I will not be bullied out because I recognize that my work matters, and I’m scared at how the government is being dismantled.”
The offer itself was confusing, and a follow-up memo from the Office of Personnel Management this week didn’t give workers much clarity. There’s skepticism among employees (and lawyers) about whether or not it will be honored, and they say their management has given very little guidance. One patent worker says that a supervisor he knows is “getting their information from Reddit because they are hearing nothing from the higher-ups.”
It’s also unclear where these employees would even return if they decide to stay in their roles. Workers say that their offices are already full, and there’s nowhere to put extra people. “Where are we gonna put these remote employees?” says one Veterans Affairs worker. “We don’t have parking. We don’t have desks.”
The official number of workers expected to quit today is still unclear. The Washington Post reports more than 40,000 workers have already taken the offer. The patent worker Fortune spoke with says he’s leaning towards taking the deal because of how impossible commuting would be. “I literally do not know that I have a choice,” he says.
But the HHS worker says there’s no way she will sign on the dotted line. “I’m not going to be chased out,” she says. “I think my anger is what’s fueling me. I mean, sure I could get a job elsewhere, but it’s gonna cause such a disruption to my life, people I love, that I’m not willing to do that because the government is bullying me.”
You can read the full story about how federal workers are grappling with their resignation offer here.
Azure Gilman
azure.gilman@fortune.com
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Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Fortune.
The former head of the Office of Personnel Management says federal workers are being “tormented.” —Sara Braun
Leaked messages show chaos inside of the USAID department as HR staff are put on administrative leave. —Beatrice Nolan
Millennials have different retirement dreams than previous generations—here’s what they’re looking for. —Orianna Rosa Royle
