Most federal workers instructed to ignore Musk email demand as deadline nears

Federal agencies are instructing employees not to respond to an email from Elon Musk for them to list five accomplishments at work last week or possibly lose their jobs.

Federal employees have taken to social media who are about to go on vacation or medical leave or just returning from vacation and medical leave and are unable to respond to the email within Musk’s 72-hour deadline which ends at 11:59 p.m. EST tonight.

The Hill reported on Sunday that the Pentagon, FBI, State Department and the intelligence community told employees to wait before responding.

The Department of Defense posted on Musk’s X that it reviews employee performance, not Musk.

“When and if required, the Department will coordinate responses to the email you have received from OPM. For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled ‘What did you do last week,’” Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick said in a statement.

In an email last week, Musk demanded that every federal worker respond and CC his/her supervisor. The email was sent as Musk is working to slash federal spending through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He demanded each employee send “approx. 5 bullets” of what they accomplished in the last week and any employee who did not respond, Musk would consider their nonresponse “as a resignation.”

During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, President Donald Trump expressed support for Musk’s email.

“What he’s doing is saying, ‘Are you actually working?’ And then, if you don’t answer, like, you’re sort of semi-fired or you’re fired, because a lot of people aren’t answering because they don’t even exist,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

Trump claimed that Musk and the DOGE has found “hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud” from federal paychecks going to nonexistent employees, but he did not provide evidence for the claim. Trump and Musk have encouraged federal employees who do not want to return to the office and stop remote work to quit, directed agencies to layoff probationary employees and halted work completed at some agencies.

Americans are standing up during town hall meetings across the country against their GOP representatives and protesting around the country in response to the attacks on federal workers.

FBI Director Kash Patel instructed his employees not to respond to the email, and said the bureau will handle responses to the OPM. The FBI will conduct reviews with each employee per FBI procedure.

“The State Department will respond on behalf of the Department. No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command,” Tibor Nagy, acting under secretary for management at the State Department, said in a statement.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard guided employees in the intelligence community.

“Given the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work, I.C. employees should not respond to the OPM email,” Gabbard said.

Federal employee unions are ready to strike back at DOGE, Musk and his email.

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), addressed a letter to OPM acting director Charles Ezell and Musk, and instructed its 800,000 members to not respond to the email. Kelley said the email does not identify legal authority for OPM to make such a request of federal employees.

“Federal employees report to their respective agencies through their established chains of command; they do not report to OPM,” Kelley said.

Kelley called the message “irresponsible” and a “sophomoric attempt” to cause confusion and intimidation. He also requested the OPM rescind the email and apologize to employees.

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) “strongly” advised its members to not respond.

“We are concerned about the implications of this request and are actively working to protect your rights and interests,” the NTEU said in a statement.

Department of Health and Human Services employees confirmed the email and encouraged employees to respond by the deadline.

“Those who do not take this email seriously will soon be furthering their career elsewhere,” Musk posted on X today.

Over the weekend, however, Trump posted on social media that Musk “is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive.”