Federal workers have until midnight to listen to Elon Musk’s second request for reports about what they’ve done recently. Musk, along with former President Trump, warned that those who don’t follow these instructions might get fired. They believe asking for a list of five accomplishments from last week will help make the government more accountable.
Many employees feel stressed and confused about this new rule as the government changes. Some agencies are telling their staff not to respond or to keep their answers limited, like they did last month when Musk made his first request.
This time, employees should expect to send their lists every Monday. There are about 2.4 million federal workers, with most not based in Washington, D.C. For example, workers at the Food and Drug Administration received several emails about the request on Monday, telling them about the new requirement and how to respond properly.
They must avoid sharing sensitive information and should answer with general statements only. Similar rules came from the Department of Energy. Employees were told not to include anything sensitive or classified and to keep things vague. The State Department said they would answer on behalf of their workers, while the Federal Bureau of Prisons allowed workers to say that their duties are security-sensitive. The Justice Department initially said not to respond due to confidentiality, but later changed its mind.
The FBI was also told to wait and not respond until told otherwise. Last month, the request for five accomplishments was optional, even with Musk hinting at layoffs. Now, individual agencies are asking, as they have the authority to hire or fire employees.
Musk described this new requirement as a “pulse check” to see if employees could report back effectively.
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