Federal employees across the United States have voiced significant frustration following confusion over an email directive from Elon Musk, which instructed them to document their work from the previous week or face termination. The confusion stems from conflicting guidance surrounding the email, which was triggered by President Donald Trump’s call for faster reforms within federal agencies. Musk’s message indicated that failure to respond would be considered a resignation.
However, just 48 hours later, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) issued a clarification, stating that responding to the email was voluntary and left decisions up to individual agencies.
The directive has stirred controversy, with federal worker unions and activist groups filing a lawsuit in California to challenge it. Key agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Justice, and the FBI—now led by Trump appointees—advised employees to ignore Musk’s message. This caused widespread confusion, with some employees receiving conflicting instructions over the weekend.
An HHS employee, speaking anonymously to the BBC, expressed frustration, saying, “They’re succeeding in driving us insane.”
In a follow-up post on his X account, Musk insisted he was acting on Trump’s orders. “Subject to the President’s discretion, they will be given another chance,” he wrote, referencing workers who did not respond by Monday’s deadline. “Failure to respond a second time will result in termination.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Leavitt, amidst growing criticism, reaffirmed, “Everyone is working together as one unified team under President Trump’s direction. Any suggestion to the contrary is completely false.”
