Trump Administration offers mass buyout to federal workforce, signals major downsizing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an unprecedented move to rapidly reduce the size of the federal government, the Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is offering voluntary buyouts to all federal employees who agree to leave their positions by February 6. This includes employees at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division.

President Donald Trump

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memo offers approximately eight months of salary to employees who voluntarily resign while warning of enhanced conduct standards and future downsizing for those who remain. The buyout offer has been extended to over two million federal workers, representing a significant portion of the government’s 3-million-strong workforce.

The administration also announced plans to require most federal employees working remotely to return to offices full-time and introduced a new “Schedule Career/Policy” order replacing the previous Schedule F initiative. This new order aims to make it easier to dismiss federal workers while reducing job security protections.

American Federation of Government Employees union President Everett Kelley criticized the move, characterizing it not as voluntary buyouts but as pressure on workers to leave their positions. “Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences,” Kelley stated.

Critics warn that mass departures could severely impact essential government services, from veterans’ healthcare to food safety inspections and air travel security. The administration has set aggressive timelines for agencies to implement these changes, with initial personnel recommendations due within 90 days.

The move aligns with Trump’s campaign promises to significantly restructure the federal government in his second term, though the full implications of such a rapid workforce reduction remain unclear.