The Trump administration is trying to reassure federal employees that an offer to resign while receiving eight months of paid leave is genuine and generous.
Emails with the subject line “Fork in the Road” went out last week and include an offer to be paid in full through Sept. 30 for any employee who agrees to resign by this Thursday. The effort is designed to trim the federal workforce, particularly hybrid or remote workers who do not want to return to the office.
Now, the White House Office of Personnel Management has sent out follow-up notices to employees along with a contract template they can fill out, part of an effort to reassure them that the offer is legally binding.
“The deferred resignation program places eligible federal employees on leave ahead of their scheduled departure,” OPM spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover said. “Ahead of their departure, they may sign a legal contract that provides binding assurance they will not be subject to future reductions in force, not be expected to work, and their pay will be protected even if there is a lapse in appropriations. OPM has circulated a template contract to agencies, and agencies are circulating to all employees.”
Since the first emails emerged last week, Democrats and unions have told workers to be wary, with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) saying, “Don’t be fooled,” even while describing the terms as a “sweetheart offer.” The American Federation of Government Employees chimed in, saying, “There’s not yet any evidence the administration can or will uphold its end of the bargain.”
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday alleging that the resignation offer could be an “illegal scam” and demanding that he “immediately rescind this offer.”
“This entire effort is a hastily executed and illegal con perpetrated against hundreds of thousands of American workers,” it reads.
Pinover hit back against those claims, saying they only hurt workers who Democrats and the unions claim to represent.
“Union leaders and politicians telling federal workers to reject this offer are doing them a serious disservice,” she said. “This is a rare, generous opportunity—one that was thoroughly vetted and intentionally designed to support employees through restructuring. Instead of spreading misinformation and using workers as political pawns, they should be making sure federal employees have the facts and freedom to make the best decision for themselves and their families.”
But the White House is sending out new information of its own, including a note to clarify that the offer will also be fully valid for all employees who are scheduled to retire by the end of this year.
“If your retirement date is between Oct. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025, you are still eligible for deferred resignation,” it says. “If your retirement date is within this window, your deferred resignation date will be extended to match your retirement date.”
Another section of the message explains that in the event of a federal government shutdown, pay for employees could be cut or paused regardless of whether they take the resignation offer or not and that anyone who resigns will receive back pay once the government is back open.
An FAQ section on the OPM website says employees will not have to work during the deferred resignation period, and that they can even accept a new job and be paid for both through the end of September.
“We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so,” it says. “The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.”
The FAQ adds that resigning employees are otherwise free to relax or visit their “dream destination” while still being paid.
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“The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes,” it says. “As a result of these changes (or for other reasons), you may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide you with sufficient time and economic security to plan for your future — and have a nice vacation.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she expects that between 5% and 10% of the federal workforce will accept the offer.
