White House Press Secretary Refutes Claims That Buyout Plan Is a Purge of Federal Government
At least one union leader expressed this view regarding the decision.
On Wednesday morning, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted that calling the recent initiative to offer buyouts to all federal employees a purge is misleading.
A memo issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Tuesday evening announced that it would implement “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct” for all federal employees and cautioned about potential downsizing. The communication, directed at millions of employees, indicated that those who voluntarily depart would be entitled to approximately eight months of salary, provided they opt in by February 6.
“Only six percent of the federal workforce in the city actually comes to work. This is unacceptable. We’re all present at the office,” she noted, referring to federal employees who have been working remotely in recent years.
“There are law enforcement personnel, teachers, and nurses nationwide who showed up to work today; individuals in this city need to do the same. This is a widely supported policy among those outside of Washington, D.C.”
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“The attempt to remove dedicated career federal employees from government positions will lead to significant, unforeseen repercussions that will disrupt services for the Americans who rely on an effective federal government,” Kelley stated.
“With a slew of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is evident that the Trump administration aims to transform the federal government into a hostile environment where employees are unable to remain, even if they wish to.”
Kelley, representing approximately 800,000 federal workers, mentioned that the number of “civil servants” has not seen significant change since 1970 while American dependence on “government services” has grown.
The federal government employs over 3 million individuals, making it one of the largest workforces in the nation, roughly ranking 15th. According to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from OPM, the average tenure for a federal employee is nearly 12 years.
“Requiring federal employees to be present at the office five days a week would likely trigger a wave of voluntary resignations that we would find favorable: If federal employees prefer to stay home, American taxpayers should not subsidize them for the privilege of working remotely during COVID,” they argued.
Contributions to this report were provided by The Associated Press.
