How a massive buyout program would work in practice is unclear, both logistically and legally.

How a massive buyout program would work in practice is unclear, both logistically and legally. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump reportedly will offer 'buyouts' to all 2 million federal workers

The White House’s plan to offer “deferred resignations” that pay departing federal employees their salary through Sept. 30 will likely run afoul of rules governing buyout payments.

The White House plans to offer all 2.3 million federal employees a buyout worth roughly eight months of salary and benefits, purportedly for employees who refuse to comply with President Trump’s return to office mandate.

The offer—for feds to continue to be paid until Sept. 30, provided they resign by Feb. 6—was emailed to every federal worker Tuesday evening, apparently via the mysterious new email server installed at the Office of Personnel Management this week.

Axios, who first reported the development, cited debunked claims from White House officials that only 6% of the federal workforce works in person—more than half of federal workers cannot telework because their duties are not portable, and employees who telework spent around 60% of their work hours in person, per 2024 Office of Management and Budget data.

The email frames the buyout offer as a respite from the administration’s effort to effectively end telework for most of the federal workforce, relocate workers and eliminate programs. It warns that a “majority” of agencies will see reductions in force, and “the reclassification to at-will status for a substantial number” of feds.

“If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce,” the email states. “At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions. If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program.”

Under such a deal, federal workers could continue to telework or work remotely during the “deferred resignation period,” as well as “accelerate” their resignation date. Exemptions exist for immigration and national security jobs, alongside other exclusions laid out by agency leaders.

But how such a massive buyout program would work in practice is unclear, both logistically and legally. Currently, voluntary separation incentive payments are capped at $25,000—a figure that would easily be eclipsed by nearly eight months of salary. House Republicans are considering whether to include an increase of that cap—to $40,000—as part of budget reconciliation legislation.

In a memo to agency heads Tuesday, Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell said that the way to get around VSIP caps is simple: put them on paid administrative leave.

"Employees who accept deferred resignation should promptly have their duties re-assigned or eliminated and be placed on paid administrative leave until the end of the deferred resignation period (generally, September 30, 2025, unless the employee has elected another earlier resignation date), unless the agency head determines that it is necessary for the employee to be actively engaged in transitioning job duties, in which case employees should be placed on administrative leave as soon as those duties are transitioned," he wrote.

In a statement Tuesday, American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley condemned the plan as part of a broader effort to make agencies inhospitable to workers.

“The number of civil servants hasn’t meaningfully changed since 1970, but there are more Americans than ever who rely on government services,” he said. “Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government. This offer should not be viewed as voluntary. Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration’s goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.”

This story has been updated with additional information from OPM.