Judge halts deadline for Trump admin’s federal buyout program

A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from implementing a controversial federal employee buyout offer, delaying the deadline to February 10.

The decision follows a lawsuit from four major unions representing over 800,000 federal employees, arguing the program is unlawful and politically motivated. 

In response, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) extended the deadline but clarified that the program is not canceled.

The deal offered to continue to pay federal employees through September if they resigned by Thursday. So far, 65,000 workers (~3%) have accepted the offer, reports CNN.

Federal agencies are urging employees to accept the buyout, warning that layoffs may follow if participation is too low. Additionally, the OPM ordered agencies to identify poor-performing employees for possible termination.

The White House aims for 5% to 10% of the federal workers, excluding military, postal and national security employees, to resign.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House is also drafting an executive order to cut thousands of jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), affecting agencies like the FDA and CDC.

Federal workers now have extra time to decide, but concerns persist about job security and the long-term impact on government operations.