WASHINGTON ― The Trump administration is providing buyout options for all federal employees who prefer not to return to the office, as confirmed by a White House representative to YSL News.

According to a memo sent to employees on Tuesday from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, federal workers can receive eight months of pay and benefits until September if they resign by February 6.

“If you decide not to continue in your current federal role, we appreciate your dedication to the country and will facilitate a respectful, fair exit from the federal deferred resignation program,” the memo states.

This decision, first reported by Axios, comes after President Donald Trump issued an order last week mandating that all federal employees return to in-person work. Many federal workers are still following work-from-home guidelines established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The memo was called “Fork in the Road,” echoing the title used by billionaire Elon Musk when he presented a similar choice to employees at X in 2022.

Musk, who leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, has discussed significantly reducing the federal workforce to minimize the government’s size and shared news of this on X.

There was no immediate information available regarding the potential cost of the voluntary buyout program or the number of employees who may take part.

The federal government employs around 2 million people.

Senator Tim Kaine expressed on the Senate floor that Trump’s offer lacks legal standing, warning that employees who accept it could end up unpaid.

“Don’t be misled,” Kaine cautioned. “He’s deceived many individuals with that proposition. If you accept and resign, he’ll leave you hanging just as he did with contractors. He lacks the authority to do this.”

According to federal rules, severance pay is only granted to employees with at least 12 months of continuous service who have not been terminated for improper performance or behavior.

Employees agreeing to the buyout should “immediately have their responsibilities reassigned or taken away and should be placed on paid administrative leave until the end of the deferred resignation period,” wrote Charles Ezell, acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in a memo directed to department and agency heads.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing approximately 800,000 workers, criticized the buyout plan, emphasizing that the federal workforce size remains comparable to that of 1970 despite increasing reliance on government services by the public.

“Removing dedicated career civil servants from the federal government could lead to extensive unforeseen consequences, disrupting services for Americans dependent on an effective federal system,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley stated.

“This offer should not be considered truly voluntary,” Kelley continued. “Given the series of anti-labor executive orders and policies, it is evident that the Trump administration aims to create a hostile environment for federal workers, making it difficult for them to remain even if they desire to do so.”

Since taking office last week, Trump has also focused on federal employees that his administration views as adversarial to its goals. This includes dismissing Justice Department attorneys connected to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump and placing numerous senior career staff members at the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave.

“There are two million federal employees. By and large, the career federal workforce leans significantly to the left,” Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, told CNN on Tuesday. “The American people voted for substantial change as advocated by Donald Trump.”

(This article has been updated to provide additional information.)

For further contact, reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.