Federal employees explain why they accepted Trump’s buyout
The last thing Shane Poole wanted was to turn his back on the military life he loves. But Poole, an Air Force veteran who now works as a civilian trainer, says he’s lost all trust in the government as President Donald Trump pushes a now-or-never buyout on federal workers and Democrats seem powerless to stop him.
Poole had been dedicated to his team of 77 and the service branch he’s served since he was 18. But the Trump blitz on government employees changed his mind.
He is one of a reported 60,000 federal employees who have accepted the unprecedented buyout offer, which is on hold pending a court hearing Monday.
“What’s frustrating is that this administration has portrayed people like myself as the enemy to the American people. We are portrayed as lazy, incompetent, low productivity,” said Poole, 41, the lead instructional systems specialist at the Hill Air Force Base in Utah. “It’s hurtful to see people cheering this on.”
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More than a dozen federal employees told USA TODAY about their decisions to stay or go. Few were willing to go on the record, saying they were concerned about retribution. Some said they feared their buyout offers might be rescinded if they are quoted in the media.
They’re weighing questions about mortgages, health care and college tuition, versus whether they could walk away with nothing if they stay and the administration follows through on threats of furloughs and layoffs.
The buyout offer is part of billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to streamline and downsize the government through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a task force created by Trump after his 2024 election victory.
The administration on Tuesday warned federal employees they could be furloughed if they do not accept the buyout and that “the majority of federal agencies will be downsized,” with the Defense Department as an exception.
More than more 2 million federal employees nationwide had been ordered to decide by the end of the day Thursday whether to resign or stay in their jobs.
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A federal judge paused Trump’s buyout offer hours before the deadline in order to allow time for labor unions to challenge the plan’s legality.
About 80% of federal employees work outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, according to March 2024 data released by the Office of Personnel Management.
Beyond the popular image of federal bureaucrats in Washington are millions of workers across the country who work at veterans hospitals, labs, post offices and military bases. Some are safety inspectors, park rangers, mine inspectors, small business loan administrators and correctional officers. They serve from one administration to another regardless of which party holds the White House.
‘Tired of being threatened’
Tony Yang, a 51-year-old IT specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Minnesota, decided to take early retirement rather than face a 125-mile commute each way to his office.
Yang, who has worked for the federal government for eight years, had hoped to hold on until retirement and collect a full pension. Leaving now, he is giving up about $1,000 a month.
At first, his wife did not want him to walk away from the security of a government job, worried how they would afford the mortgage, credit cards and other monthly bills.
But after late-night conversations, they decided this was the best path forward, Yang said. Trump’s order that all federal employees return to office was too much, especially when coupled with the offer of a buyout that comes with eight months of pay and benefits.
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“It was a hard choice. Honestly, I love my job and I didn’t want to leave yet. I am sad to leave my team,” Yang said. “But I feel like I have to settle for this.”
Poole faced a similar dilemma. On probation due to a recent promotion, Poole said he worried his job was on the line. So with the deadline looming, he decided to accept the offer.
“I figured walking out the door with something rather than nothing was the smart move,” he said. “A lot of people think this fork in the road deal is a scam, but I am trying to call their bluff, too. Even if it is, and they stiff us, it’s still better than leaving with nothing.”
Poole said he considers himself lucky. He has two postgraduate degrees, zero debt and ample savings.
He’s already landed two interviews after just a week of job hunting. Federal employees like him who are taking the buyout are the highly productive and marketable people that federal agencies cannot afford to lose, he said.
Even if his resignation is blocked, Poole said he plans to leave anyway.
“I can’t trust them anymore. To me, the bridge is burned,” he said. “It’s tough for me to say that, as someone who has served his country for this long. But I’m over it and I am tired of being threatened every day I walk into work.”
What to do?
Federal workers across the country said they wrangled with whether to stay or go as their inboxes filled with increasingly dire emails and guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and the leadership of their agencies.
A “final” memo received Thursday before the judge’s order stressed that “there will NOT be an extension of this program.”
Employees grumbled about getting just one week to make such an important decision. Some agencies, like Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told employees the day before the Thursday deadline that they do qualify for the offer.
“This is a deeply personal decision, and whichever decision you make, we support you,” the email states.
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The court order gave employees an extra weekend to weigh their choice. In federal offices across the country, skepticism remained whether the administration has the legal authority to follow through on the offer.
Some federal employees said they did not trust that the Trump administration to honor the commitment. Some were concerned by a provision in the buyout offer that requires them to waive the right to pursue legal or administrative action. Others are concerned they aren’t allowed to ask questions in writing.
A Health and Human Services employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation said some are worried about finding a new job if the market is flooded with thousands of former federal employees at the same time private companies are laying workers off in multiple industries.
“I can only conclude that this is going to lead to mass unemployment, a decreased standard of opportunities and pay and incredible difficulty across the entire U.S. economy,” she said.
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Even though pressure has increased on federal employees, with some agencies warning that layoffs are likely if not enough people take the offer, she and her husband − who both work for the federal government − don’t plan to do it. She said their work helps the American people. They also need their jobs to cover their mortgage, student loans and other financial obligations.
Her fears were echoed by a longtime Forest Service employee: “How does a good 20-year employee or even anyone explain to a private employer why they just lost their job?”
One EPA employee said there was a reluctance in the office to discuss the buyout. Even if the offer isn’t legal, as many fear, employees worry that if they stick around, they could be fired and end up with nothing.
Labor unions representing federal workers have warned employees against taking the offer. Congress has only funded government operations through mid-March.
“I can tell you it’s been almost a taboo topic,” the EPA employee said. “I think people are afraid to admit if they take it because there’s a sentiment that they’re about to get suckered.”
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