Politics

Federal Judge Further Extends Trump’s ‘Fork Directive’ Deadline Offering Federal Worker Buyout

Joe Gratz/Flickr

A federal judge in Massachusetts continued his freeze on President Donald Trump’s buyout offer for federal workers Monday, upholding the block until he can “respond to the issues presented,” according to NBC News.

U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole initially blocked the buyout deadline Thursday just hours before it was scheduled to expire after labor unions representing more than 800,000 federal employees filed a lawsuit against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to block the program. The buyout offer promises over 2 million eligible employees eight months of pay and benefits in exchange for their resignation — an offer whose deadline is now postponed until O’Toole issues a ruling on a preliminary injunction.

“We ask for more weeks … while this court considers the merits. The pressure that comes from that deadline where people have to make their choice about their livelihood,” said Elena Goldstein, an attorney for the plaintiffs, according to the outlet. “Irreparable harm will continue. They will be asking what they actually accepted. OPM is making it up as they go along.”

.@PressSec Karoline Leavitt on buyouts: “This is a suggestion to federal workers that they have to return to work. If they don’t then they have the option to resign and this administration is very generously offering to pay them for eight months.” pic.twitter.com/B6AmEe79vB

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 29, 2025

Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton described the buyout offer as an “offramp” to employees disappointed by the widespread workforce cuts and argued the president “campaigned on reducing the federal workforce,” the outlet reported.

As part of Trump’s and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) effort to slash the size of the federal workforce, OPM issued a “Fork Directive” on Jan. 28 initially offering employees until Thursday to accept a “deferred resignation offer.” Some 60,000 federal workers have accepted the offer as of Monday, according to the outlet.

A fork in the road https://t.co/vzk1RYbM5u

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2025

The lawsuit against OPM is led by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) along with other unions for public employees and is represented by Democracy Forward, a legal group. AFSCME called the lawsuit “illegal” and “an arbitrary, unlawful, short-fused ultimatum” in a press release.

The plaintiffs primarily argue Trump’s buyout — which promises to pay resigned employees through September — violates the Antideficiency Act, a law that prohibits federal agencies from spending above their appropriated levels. Funding for most executive agencies expires in March.

The court clerk’s preliminary notes say the deadline extension will “remain in effect until further order of the Court.” It is unclear when O’Toole will next hold a hearing in this case.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Joe Gratz via Flickr)