Federal workers said they are reeling after weeks of job cuts and a demand from Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency for workers to justify their jobs.
All federal workers received an email asking for five bullet points on what they accomplished last week.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been given the unofficial power of overseeing the effort, said on social media failure to respond would be taken as a resignation and President Donald Trump reiterated the point at a news conference Monday.
Dave, a worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs, who asked us not to use his real name, said it has been a stressful time.
“There’s definitely a fear, wondering if our work ethics are good enough to remain on staff,” Dave observed. “Many of us have responded to the email. So we have followed directions, but it’s still that sense of micromanagement that is making us feel very insecure.”
Musk and the DOGE advisory group have claimed, without offering proof, they have uncovered hundreds of billions of dollars in federal employee fraud, including paychecks issued to nonexistent workers. DOGE faces legal challenges from unions, businesses, and advocacy groups. Amid an atmosphere of confusion, many agency managers appointed by Trump are advising employees not to comply with the email, citing privacy and security concerns.
Dave said as a person of color who joined the federal service after serving in the military, he is also concerned diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are being terminated.
“If two people walk into an office, one person was of color and the other person was not, they probably both have similar qualifications,” Dave noted. “But that person of color worked just a slight bit harder. There have been statistics that have proved in the past that they tend to favor their white candidates.”
Trump has claimed DEI initiatives intended to help people in less-favored groups succeed are themselves a form of discrimination.
