Federal Workers Push Back Against Trump Administration’s Controversial Email Demand: A Union’s Strong Stand Against "Plainly Unlawful" Directive
The Trump administration has sparked outrage among federal employees after sending out an email demanding that they explain what they did at work last week. The email, which was widely criticized as invasive and unlawful, has drawn a fierce response from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), one of the largest federal unions in the country. In a letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), AFGE President Everett Kelley called the email "plainly unlawful" and demanded that it be retracted immediately. The email, sent to federal workers, required them to reply with five bullet points detailing their accomplishments from the previous week and to include their manager in the response. The deadline for compliance was set at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, with Elon Musk, the head of President Donald Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, threatening that failure to respond would be treated as a resignation.
Kelley’s letter to OPM not only criticized the email for lacking any legal authority but also argued that it violated laws that delegate management authority to federal agency leaders. He emphasized that federal employees have no obligation to respond to such an unlawful directive unless they receive lawful direction from their own managers. Kelley also called on OPM to rescind the email and apologize to all federal employees, asserting that the email has left workers feeling "undervalued and intimidated." The union, which represents 800,000 federal workers, has been vocal in its opposition to the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine federal employees and their rights.
The email in question, with the subject line "What did you do last week?" has been widely condemned as an overreach of authority and an abuse of power. While the Trump administration has framed the email as a way to increase accountability and efficiency, critics argue that it is yet another attempt to bully and demoralize federal workers. Kelley noted that the email is not only invasive but also a wasteful distraction, pulling employees away from their critical duties. For example, he pointed out that air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and surgeons at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) should not have to spend their time justifying their work to individuals who do not even manage them. He accused OPM of recklessly allowing "unelected and unhinged" figures like Musk to dictate policy, further eroding the trust and morale of federal workers.
The controversy over the email is just the latest in a series of actions taken by the Trump administration that have drawn the ire of federal employees. In recent months, the administration has attempted to unilaterally shut down federal agencies, pressured employees to accept a legally questionable deferred resignation program, and fired thousands of probationary hires with little justification. These actions have created a climate of fear and uncertainty among federal workers, many of whom feel that their contributions are being dismissed and their rights violated. The email demanding a weekly report on their accomplishments is seen as a continuation of this aggressive and adversarial approach, with many workers viewing it as an attempt to intimidate them into leaving their jobs.
Over the weekend, federal employees across the country were left scrambling for guidance on how to respond to the email, if at all. The Defense Department, for example, advised its employees to "pause any response" and reaffirmed its own management authority over its personnel. The department emphasized that it would conduct any performance reviews in accordance with its own procedures, signaling that it would not comply with the OPM’s directive. This response reflects the broader confusion and frustration among federal workers, many of whom are unsure of their rights and obligations in this situation. The union has encouraged employees to wait for further instructions from their own managers rather than responding to the email directly.
In conclusion, the Trump administration’s email demanding that federal employees account for their work last week has been met with strong resistance from the AFGE and widespread outrage among federal workers. The union has argued that the email is unlawful, invasive, and disruptive to essential government functions. By pulling employees away from their critical duties and allowing figures like Elon Musk to dictate policy, the administration has further eroded the trust and morale of federal workers. The AFGE has called on OPM to rescind the email and apologize to federal employees, and it has urged employees to stand their ground and seek guidance from their own managers. As the situation continues to unfold, federal workers are bracing for further confrontations with an administration that seems determined to push them out of their jobs.
