Cnn
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President Donald Trump And the latest move from Elon Musk targeting the federal workforce, the employees began to receive emails on Saturday afternoon Asking them to explain what work they did last week, because Musk announced that “not to answer will be considered a resignation”.
But several national security agencies, including the FBI, and several other federal departments have advised employees not to respond immediately to emails, which suggests that the wider executive power has not been informed or prepared on demand .
E-mail came from the staff management office New HR email address But had no signature. The object line can be read as follows: “What did you do last week?”
“Please answer this email with approximately. 5 balls of what you accomplished last week and CC your manager. Please do not send information, links or classified attachments, ”he continues.
CNN has obtained copies of emails sent to federal employees in several agencies. Many have been sent with great importance or red exclamation marks.
The e-mail explosion came in the heels of a publication on social networks by Musk threatening the jobs of workers who do not comply.
“In accordance with the instructions of the president @ realdonaldtrump, all federal employees will soon receive an email asking to understand what they did last week,” said Musk Posted Saturday on XHours after Trump suggested that it is more “aggressive”.
However, the email itself does not stipulate that not responding will be considered to be resigned. He indicates that the deadline for submission is Monday at 11:59 p.m. HE.
The email sent shock waves via a federal workforce already in shock of a range of orders from the Trump administration, including the recent dismissal of thousands of employees on probation statusA Delayed resignation offer that many considered to be questionable and required to Back to office full -time, among others.
A president of a union section began to obtain SMS from the members concerned “constantly” after the Musk post and the OPM e-mail.
“I have no idea what this email means,” said the union manager at CNN, noting that they say to members to “simply stay in place until I advise the opposite. “”
Musk cannot force federal employees to resign, and try to have it equivalent to an involuntary dismissal, a federal expert in employment and managing partner at Tully Rinckey told CNN. If the workers were assigned, they could file a complaint contesting the action.
“Musk’s comment lacks legal authority,” said Fallings, noting that demanding employees report their work last week is an “unreasonable and useless request”, especially on weekends and containing an arbitrary deadline.
Employees should discuss email with their managers and, if necessary, their union officials before responding, Fallings said.
Musk published a monitoring message On X Saturday evening, writing: “To be clear, the bar is very low here.”
“An e-mail with fleas that has a sense is acceptable!” He posted. “Should take less than 5 minutes to write.”
Some agencies have also advised workers not to respond to emails yet – especially in agencies where a large part of employee tasks can be sensitive.
FBI director Kash Patel said the office employees on Saturday not to respond immediately to the OPM email.
In an email to the office employees obtained by CNN, Patel said: “The FBI, through the director’s office, is in charge of all our examination processes and will carry out exams in accordance with the FBI procedures. When and if additional information is necessary, we will coordinate the answers. For the moment, please suspend all the answers. »»
Patel’s email came after the senior leaders of the FBI New York field office and other divisions told their employees not to respond, said an informed person in the case.
Employees of several agencies and services from the Ministry of Defense, including the National Security Agency, were also informed on Saturday that they should not have responded until they receive additional directives from the department’s management, said several sources.
Employees of the application of laws, intelligence and national security in agencies such as the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security were also invited to wait to respond until they are additional directives, according to A source familiar with the question.
And Ed Martin, American acting lawyer for the Columbia districtsent an e-mail advising employees to be “general” in their responses if necessary and promising to protect them. “If someone poses problems, my back,” wrote Martin.
The State Department also told employees that they did not have to respond to email.
“The State Department will respond to the name of the department. No employee is forced to report his activities outside their chain of command from the department, ”read an e-mail sent late Saturday from Tibor Nagy, the acting subsectary of management.
The head of the American secret service, on the other hand, asked the staff to comply with the OPM email, but noted that the agency has resources that employees can use “in times of uncertainty” .
In a message in the workforce of the secret services on Saturday obtained by CNN, the director Sean Curran confirmed that the employees by email received from the OPM are legitimate and “require your response”. Curran also said that any employee who had not received the message from the main human resources agency of the federal government should proactively contact OPM to justify their work.
“I understand that this request can raise questions,” continued Curran. “We have resources that are available for all employees of the secret service, including the employee assistance program, the peer support program and the chaplain program, which can provide support in times of uncertainty . ”
The head of a higher union representing federal workers castigated Ultimatum from Musk, saying to CNN in a statement that he reflects the “total disdain of the Trump administration for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people ».
“It is cruel and disrespectful towards hundreds of thousands of veterans who carry their second uniform in the public service to be forced to justify their functions of this billionaire out of contact, privileged and not elected who has never exercised a single Hour of honest public service time in his life, “said Everett Kelley, national president of the US Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 800,000 workers federal.
Kelley said her union planned to take legal action to “challenge the illegal layoffs of our federal members and employees”.
And Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Union of Treasury Employees, described the electronic mail of the “completely non -American” OPM.
“This afternoon of” What did you do last week? ” E-mails to federal workers across the country should be called completely non-American, “Greenwald said in a statement. “NTEU members are professional civil servants and will not back up these blatant attempts to attack a vital resource for the American public.”
A federal worker told CNN that they saw that the “insulting” and “absolutely breathtaking” demand, especially since their activity at work is already followed.
“It is insane and calculating and just another low tactic to get rid of the employees they have not yet been able to touch,” said the worker about the Musk post saying that a non-response would be considered as a resignation.
Another member of federal staff told CNN that he felt obliged to answer.
“Personally, I am afraid of not responding to the deadline on the basis of Elon’s tweets that non-response would be considered or to answer with oath balls, we brought to the Constitution.”
Asset Tapped with musk To reshape the federal government with its government ministry. But if this last decision is legal is not clear.
Termed to comment on, a spokesperson for the OPM said in a statement that this decision was aimed at “commitment to an effective and responsible federal workforce”. The agencies, said the spokesperson: “will determine all the next steps.”
Shortly after Musk’s position on Saturday, Trump qualified the owner of the X “patriot” and said that he was “doing a great job” during the remarks at the conservative political action conference.
Musk’s comments followed a previous article by Trump suggesting that he would like to see the technological billionaire become more aggressive.
“Elon does a great job, but I would like to see him become more aggressive. Remember that we have a country to save, but ultimately, to make bigger than ever. Maga! “Trump Post reading. Musk replied: “Go, Mr. President!” In his own position.
E-mails come as Musk and Trump seek to reshape the federal workforce-in particular by reducing its size, replacing career workers with politicians, by wiping certain public service protections, putting an end Diversity efforts and more.
This story has been updated with new reports.
Betsy Klein of CNN, Jamie Gangel, Sean Lyngaas and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.