Trump to federal workers: Return to office 'or be terminated'

President Trump on Wednesday warned that federal workers will have to show up to the office “or be terminated,” framing his administration’s so-called buyout offers to 2 million employees as an effort to shrink the government.

“We’re requiring them to show up to work or be terminated,” Trump said in remarks from the East Room before signing an immigration bill into law.

“We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and therefore our government will get smaller and more efficient,” Trump added. “And that’s what we’ve been looking to do for many, many decades, frankly.”

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) began sending emails to federal workers Tuesday evening offering what amounts to a buyout if they do not intend to return to work in person later this year.

The message informed workers that they can retain benefits and be paid through September if they hand in their resignation by Feb. 6. The email also indicated that continuing to remain in service amid the return to office work did not guarantee employment — a nod to multiple Trump efforts to shrink the workforce.

“We don’t want them to work from home, because as everyone knows, most of the time they’re not working,” Trump claimed Wednesday. “They’re not very productive. And it’s unfair to the millions of people in the United States who are in fact working hard from job sites and not from home.”

“As federal employees, they must meet a high standard. They’re representing our government, they’re representing our country,” he added.

The buyouts are available to all full-time federal employees, excluding military personnel, U.S. Postal Service workers and positions related to immigration enforcement and national security.

The offer sparked concern among employee unions as well as some Democratic lawmakers who cautioned against accepting a buyout.

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