Federal employees told to justify jobs in email or Musk says they face dismissal

Trump and Musk Demand Federal Workers Justify Their Jobs in Surprise Email

By Shania Shelton, Tami Luhby, Josh Campbell, Eva McKend, and Evan Perez | CNN

Updated: 12:05 AM EST, Sun February 23, 2025

In a sudden and controversial move, federal employees received emails Saturday demanding they outline their work from the past week—part of a joint effort by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to scrutinize the federal workforce. Musk warned that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

The emails, sent from a new Office of Personnel Management address, lacked official signatures and instructed recipients to provide five bullet points summarizing their accomplishments. However, national security agencies, including the FBI, advised employees not to respond immediately, signaling internal uncertainty about the directive.

Musk’s announcement on X followed Trump’s call for more “aggressive” action, raising concerns about the administration’s transparency and coordination. While the emails did not explicitly state that non-compliance would lead to termination, they set a deadline of Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET, leaving federal workers uncertain about their job security.