By: Rejoice Henrietta Otoo Arthur
President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are leading a plan to reduce the number of government workers. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced that the programme, which offered federal workers eight months of pay if they resigned, has now stopped accepting new entries.
The programme was first announced on January 28, with a deadline of February 6 for workers to decide. However, the deadline was extended due to legal challenges. On February 7 at 7:20 PM Eastern Time, the programme officially closed.
A U.S. District Judge in Boston, George O’Toole, ruled that the program could continue despite lawsuits from unions.
The Trump administration says the programme is designed to cut government costs and improve efficiency. However, critics argue that it could lead to a loss of experienced workers, harming government operations.
The administration sent an email titled “Fork in the Road” to federal employees, asking them to choose between staying in their jobs with no guarantee of keeping them or leaving with a financial package.
Unions called the program unfair and tried to stop it in court, but the judge ruled they did not have the legal standing to block it. While the White House has not commented on the ruling, unions say they are exploring legal options to challenge the decision further.
