Top officials at the Education Department have informed staff members that if they accept the Trump administration’s deferred resignation package, there may be potential issues with getting promised pay. The Office of Personnel Management has offered federal employees the chance to resign by Thursday in exchange for continued pay and benefits until the end of September, with hopes of reducing the federal workforce by up to 10%.
However, education department employees were told that the secretary could cancel the offer and employees would have no recourse, leaving them without the promised pay. While the government has stated that the assurances in the offer are binding, a sample agreement includes clauses that allow agency heads to rescind deals and employees to waive legal claims. This has raised concerns among federal workers about the possibility of the government not fulfilling the promises made in the buyout offer.
Overall, the buyout offer has created uncertainty and anxiety among federal employees, with some viewing it as an attempt to intimidate them into quitting. The Education Department is also said to be planning layoffs, known as Reductions in Force, with details to be provided to staff members in the future. Additionally, there are discussions about having all Education Department staff return to the office daily by February 24th amid efforts by the Trump administration to streamline the federal bureaucracy and potentially eliminate the Education Department altogether.
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