Workplace pressures intensify, compelling employees to resign from their jobs
The Trump administration has introduced a controversial new program, dubbed "buyouts" by administration officials, aimed at offering federal workers a chance to resign while still receiving their current salary and benefits until the end of September. However, by the end of February, these workers will effectively have quit their jobs.
The deferred resignation program, which allows federal workers to keep their government pay and benefits through September 30, 2025, without any expectation of performing work, has been met with criticism from Democrats and federal employee groups. They argue that the program is illegal and unenforceable, citing potential breaches of the Anti-Deficiency Act.
The program offers employees exemption from return-to-work requirements and full pay and benefits regardless of workload. It also includes a provision that allows agency heads to rescind the deal at any time, and employees are required to waive their right to pursue litigation against the agency and unions.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has already begun granting agencies Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) for eligible federal workers. Participants in the deferred resignation program will be placed on administrative leave for the bulk of the deferred resignation period.
In a move to defend the program's legality, OPM issued new guidance on Tuesday. Despite the assurances from the government regarding the deferred resignation program, the program's exposure under the Anti-Deficiency Act remains unaddressed.
If a government shutdown occurs on March 15, participants in the deferred resignation program will be furloughed like current federal workers. Payments to all affected employees, regardless of whether they accepted the deferred resignation offer, would be temporarily paused during a government shutdown.
As of now, only 20,000 federal workers have accepted the deal. Administration officials are trying to circumvent the $25,000 cap on Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments by placing employees on paid administrative leave.
The deadline for federal workers to accept or reject the program is on Thursday. The program has been widely panned by critics, who argue that it is a risky and potentially illegal move that could have significant consequences for the federal workforce and the government as a whole.
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