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Fork in the Road? Federal Employees React to Donald Trump's Worker Buyout

Newsweek
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Donald Trump's buyout initiative provides about eight months of severance pay to federal workers who voluntarily resign.

The administration expects 5 to 10 percent of employees to accept the offer, potentially leading to the departure of hundreds of workers.

The Office of Personnel Management framed the offer as "administrative leave with pay and benefits" and distributed instructions via government email accounts.

Federal employees who resign under the program are expected to receive their severance payments in phases, with final payouts completed by the end of the fiscal year , September 30, 2025 .

The deadline for federal employees to opt into the buyout program is February 6 .

After this date, employees who have not resigned will be subject to new workplace policies, including the mandated return to in-office work and stricter performance evaluation.