U.S. Federal Employees Ordered to Justify Work Amid Staffing Cuts
The administration sends a second email demanding a list of tasks from federal employees as part of ongoing workforce reductions initiated by President Trump and ally Elon Musk.
On March 1, 2025, the Trump administration circulated a second email to federal employees, requiring them to submit a list of recent tasks performed.
This directive comes at a time when the Republican president and his ally Elon Musk are implementing significant staffing reductions across government agencies.
Federal employees were given a deadline of Monday at 11:59 PM (Tuesday at 5:59 AM GMT) to respond, and this task justification is expected to become a weekly requirement.
The email, viewed by multiple reports, instructs employees from various federal departments to respond with approximately five bullet points detailing their accomplishments from the previous week while copying their supervisor on the communication.
This initiative follows a similar email sent the previous week, which was also influenced by Musk.
This earlier message had generated confusion within the administration, with some cabinet officials and agency directors advising their staff against complying with the request pending further instructions.
The email from the administration emphasized that failure to respond by the given deadline would be interpreted as resignation, according to Musk, who has publicly advocated for increased accountability among federal employees.
Several departments, including those led by Trump loyalists, had previously cautioned employees against compliance, citing concerns regarding potential leaks of classified information.
The latest correspondence reassures federal employees that those whose activities are classified as 'confidential or sensitive' can simply reply with a statement indicating 'all my activities are sensitive.'
Elon Musk, the world's richest individual and a prominent supporter of Trump’s presidential campaign, has been tasked with leading an efficiency commission, dubbed 'Doge,' that aims to streamline government expenditure.
Since January, Musk has initiated a broad restructuring of the federal system, targeting several government agencies he claims are mismanaged and fraudulent.
As of Saturday morning, neither Musk nor the official Doge account on social media platform X had commented on the issuance of this second email.
This directive comes at a time when the Republican president and his ally Elon Musk are implementing significant staffing reductions across government agencies.
Federal employees were given a deadline of Monday at 11:59 PM (Tuesday at 5:59 AM GMT) to respond, and this task justification is expected to become a weekly requirement.
The email, viewed by multiple reports, instructs employees from various federal departments to respond with approximately five bullet points detailing their accomplishments from the previous week while copying their supervisor on the communication.
This initiative follows a similar email sent the previous week, which was also influenced by Musk.
This earlier message had generated confusion within the administration, with some cabinet officials and agency directors advising their staff against complying with the request pending further instructions.
The email from the administration emphasized that failure to respond by the given deadline would be interpreted as resignation, according to Musk, who has publicly advocated for increased accountability among federal employees.
Several departments, including those led by Trump loyalists, had previously cautioned employees against compliance, citing concerns regarding potential leaks of classified information.
The latest correspondence reassures federal employees that those whose activities are classified as 'confidential or sensitive' can simply reply with a statement indicating 'all my activities are sensitive.'
Elon Musk, the world's richest individual and a prominent supporter of Trump’s presidential campaign, has been tasked with leading an efficiency commission, dubbed 'Doge,' that aims to streamline government expenditure.
Since January, Musk has initiated a broad restructuring of the federal system, targeting several government agencies he claims are mismanaged and fraudulent.
As of Saturday morning, neither Musk nor the official Doge account on social media platform X had commented on the issuance of this second email.
