Top officials at the Education Department are warning staff members that if they accept the deferred resignation package offered by the Trump administration, there may be no recourse if it is later cancelled, potentially leaving them without promised pay. The offer, called “Fork in the Road,” was sent to federal employees by the Office of Personnel Management, with the goal of getting up to 10% of the workforce to quit to shrink the federal bureaucracy. However, employees were informed that the education secretary could rescind the agreement or the government could stop paying, with employees waiving all legal claims in the process.
The Education Department has stated that the resignation offer’s assurances are binding on the government, but a sample deferred resignation agreement includes language giving agency heads the discretion to rescind deals and employees waiving the right to challenge them. Across the federal government, pressure to take the buyout offer has been increasing, with more than 40,000 people already accepting it.
Many federal workers are concerned that the Trump administration may not hold up its end of the bargain, leading to low morale and anxiety among employees. The offer is part of a broader effort by Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk to remake the federal government, leading to legal challenges and warnings from labor unions and Democratic state attorneys general. Additionally, potential layoffs and Reductions in Force may impact Education Department staff members, as the administration moves to cut spending and potentially dismantle the Education Department.
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