On February 24, local time, Trump strongly supported Musk’s request for federal employees to submit weekly work reports, saying that federal employees who ignore the request may be “semi-fired or fired.” The specific situation is as follows:
Background of the incident: Musk was authorized by Trump to lead the government efficiency department to promote large-scale layoffs in the federal government. Trump praised Musk for “doing a good job” in reducing staff and increasing efficiency last weekend, but hoped that he would be “stronger”, so he asked federal employees to submit weekly work reports.
Musk’s request: On February 22, Musk said that all federal employees must report on their work progress last week, and those who disobey will face layoffs. The Federal Personnel Management Office sent an email notification that night, requiring federal employees to report their personal “about five performance items last week” before 23:59 Eastern Time on the 24th. On the 24th, Musk updated the weekly work report requirements, saying that “subject to the discretion of the president”, all federal employees “will have a second chance”, and “failure to respond the second time” will lead to their positions “termination”.
Trump’s statement: When Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House, he answered a reporter’s question and said that Musk wanted to know “how many federal employees are actually working” through weekly work reports, and those who did not submit weekly work reports on time “may not exist at all” and would be regarded as “semi-fired or fired.”
Responses from various departments: The Department of Defense, the State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies told employees that they did not need to reply to emails; the Department of Transportation and the Department of Finance required employees to reply. The Federal Personnel Management Office issued guidance on the 24th, stating that employees would not be fired for not replying to relevant emails to report work progress. Emails are not a mandatory requirement, and employees can reply voluntarily.
