Elon Musk has issued a second and seemingly final warning to federal employees who failed to respond to an email asking them to list five accomplishments from the past week. In a post on X, Musk stated that those who miss the second deadline will be fired.
The department of government efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk, had initially instructed federal workers to submit their accomplishments via email, with the responses set to be analysed by artificial intelligence. The move, aimed at identifying essential roles and cutting government spending, has sparked legal challenges and pushback from unions and agencies.
However, despite criticism, Musk—backed by US President Donald Trump—remains firm in his stance. What started as an instruction has now become a direct warning.
Musk announced: “Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”
He responded to tech executive Matt Welsh’s post on X, who called for stricter measures:
“Fire any federal worker who didn’t answer the email. Fire any who complained publicly about the email. Fire any who complained privately about the email. Fire any who did anything but cheerfully and promptly answer it.”
Musk’s comments followed an earlier post criticising federal workers: “The email request was utterly trivial, as the standard for passing the test was to type some words and press send! Yet so many failed even that inane test, urged on in some cases by their managers. Have you ever witnessed such INCOMPETENCE and CONTEMPT for how YOUR TAXES are being spent?”
Trump has praised the initiative, calling it a necessary step to ensure accountability in government.
“We have people that don’t show up to work, and nobody even knows if they work for the government. So by asking the question, ‘Tell us what you did this week,’ what he’s doing is saying: Are you actually working?” Trump said.
He also suggested that some employees weren’t responding because “they don’t even exist.”
The move has drawn backlash, with some agencies advising employees to ignore the directive. Lawyer Norm Eisen, representing unions challenging the policy, called the mass firings illegal.
“The patronising demand that federal workers still on the job have to justify themselves by enumerating five accomplishments just adds insult to injury. That too is against the law,” Eisen said.