If the top education officer accepts staff on Wednesday the Trump administration’s postponed resignation package, the Education Secretary can cancel it later, and employees can’t count on them, potentially committing He said he could leave without making the payment.
The Human Resources Administration last week notified federal employees, saying that if they resign by Thursday they will be able to receive their salary and benefits until the end of September. The Trump administration hopes to quit as much as 10% of its workforce as part of its plan to reduce the federal bureaucracy.
However, three education department staff members have taken to NBC News to see the department’s new chief of staff, Rachel Ogresby, and its chief personnel officer, Jacqueline Clay, on what is called a fork offer at all staff meetings. He said he explained a serious warning to the fork. Zoom on Wednesday. Authorities didn’t want to be named after fear of retaliation.
The Education Secretary will be allowed to withdraw the contract, or the government can suspend payments, and employees who have received a postponed resignation package will waive all legal claims, according to the three Officials said it was reported at the meeting. The three employees have so far only seen a sample of resignation agreements and say they must agree to resign by Thursday evening before looking at the actual terms of their separation. Masu.
“It sounded like a commercial for a used car dealer, like ‘Now, action, only someday’,” said a department official who attended the meeting.
Educational spokespersons and OPM say it is false and point to a memo that states that the offer to resignation states that “guarantees are binding on the government.” If the government supports its commitment, employees are entitled to request the resignation withdrawal. ”
However, the memo includes a sample that includes a clause in which the agent’s director retains its sole discretion to cancel the transaction and that the employee waives the right to challenge before the Merit System Protection Board or other forum. Contracts are included.
According to a copy obtained by NBC News, the sample deferred resignation agreements specific to education department employees include similar languages.
The entire federal government is putting pressure on it to take an offer to buy from the Trump administration. In an email to federal employees on Tuesday after the original acquisition proposal, OPM wrote: There is no extension to this program. ”
More than 40,000 people have been offered acquisition offers from a federal workforce of over 2 million people, according to White House officials.
There is deep concern among federal workers that the Trump administration’s acquisition offer could turn out to be bait and switch, and the government may not be able to maintain the end of the bargain. The comments from the education manager only exacerbated these concerns, three employees said.
“Morale is pretty bad,” the second official said. “One of the managers I work with said that he has never seen an email in the last four hours since the meeting ended.
A third employee explained that Call’s tone was angry as the worker put a question in a Zoom chat box but was unable to get an answer.
The unusual acquisition offer overturned Washington amid executive orders and manipulations by Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. In just two weeks, Trump and Musk began drastic efforts to remake the federal government, cut spending and eliminate some agencies.
Many Democrats and some Republicans say Trump and Musk are violating the constitutional limits of the presidency in ways that are illegal and causing a constitutional crisis.
Some unions for federal workers have sued to suspend a delayed resignation program, but they argue that the Trump administration has no legal authority to provide such a takeover. The federal labor union and Democratic attorney general warned federal workers that they might not receive the promised resignation benefits, and characterized the offer as an attempt to quit.
Trump has appointed former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and his first manager, Small Business Director Linda McMahon, as education secretary. No confirmation hearing is scheduled yet.
Other staffing changes that come to the education department may arrive before McMahon does so. The department hopes to make a layoff known as a power cut, three department officials said they were notified during Wednesday’s meeting. Chief of Staff Ogresby and Head of Human Capital Clay did not say when it will take place during the meeting or which offices will be hit the most violently.
Educational staff will also need to enter the office every day by February 24th. Clay told staff that department leaders are working to find another federal building for remote employees to work from within 50 miles of their home.
Trump says he wants to eliminate the education department that will make his long-standing dream of a Republican base, but is set to take Congressional acts to achieve it. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the White House is squeezing executive action that can dismantle the department in a fragmented way, citing unknown people who are familiar with the issue.
