The Trump administration’s mass email asking federal staff what they labored on final week — and Elon Musk’s announcement that anybody who doesn’t reply might be dismissed — has despatched companies scrambling.
Some companies suggested employees to carry off on responding, establishing a showdown with Musk. However different companies are telling staff to conform, as unions vow legal challenges.
Would dismissal be authorized? Musk can’t legally drive federal staff to resign, and trying to take action would quantity to an involuntary termination, Michael Fallings, a federal employment regulation skilled, advised CNN. If employees have been affected, they might file a declare difficult the motion. Staff ought to talk about the e-mail with their managers and, if relevant, their union officers earlier than responding, Fallings mentioned.
Right here’s what officers are telling their employees:
Leaders on the Pentagon, Federal Bureau of Investigation, State Division, Division of Homeland Safety and Division of Vitality all instructed their employees to not reply to an email that federal workers received from the Office of Personnel Management on Saturday afternoon.
A number of senior Protection Division officers advised CNN the e-mail thrust their weekend into chaos.
Division of Well being and Human Providers: HHS initially advised staff to conform. However the company later reversed its steering, telling staff to “pause” their answering of the e-mail.
Staff on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, Nationwide Institutes of Well being, and the Meals and Drug Administration, that are a part of HHS, have been advised by particular person companies to attend till Monday for extra steering.
NASA is working to concern steering on how staff ought to reply, after initially asking employees to conform.
Staff on the Social Safety Administration and Shopper Monetary Safety Bureau have been advised to conform.
Many staff on the CFPB, which the Trump administration is hoping to dismantle, have been advised to stop working earlier this month. The Sunday e mail mentioned: “If you weren’t in a position to carry out duties/work… chances are you’ll reply and easily reference that you just have been complying with the present work stoppage.”
Staff from the Nationwide Transportation Security Board — tasked with investigating an unprecedented string of air disasters during the last month — have additionally been requested to justify what they did on the job final week. It’s not clear how the NTSB employees might be directed to reply. The deadline to reply is 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday.
