February 24, 2025: Donald Trump presidency information

The Trump administration’s mass e mail asking federal workers what they labored on final week — and Elon Musk’s announcement that anybody who doesn’t reply might be dismissed — has despatched businesses scrambling.

Some businesses suggested staff to carry off on responding, organising a showdown with Musk. However different businesses are telling workers to conform, as unions vow authorized challenges.

Would dismissal be authorized? Musk can’t legally pressure federal workers to resign, and making an attempt to take action would quantity to an involuntary termination, Michael Fallings, a federal employment regulation knowledgeable, advised CNN. If staff have been affected, they may file a declare difficult the motion. Workers ought to focus on the e-mail with their managers and, if relevant, their union officers earlier than responding, Fallings mentioned.

Right here’s what officers are telling their staff:

Leaders on the Pentagon, Federal Bureau of Investigation, State Division, Division of Homeland Safety and Division of Power all instructed their workers to not reply to an e mail that federal staff obtained from the Workplace of Personnel Administration on Saturday afternoon.

A number of senior Protection Division officers advised CNN the e-mail thrust their weekend into chaos.

Division of Well being and Human Companies: HHS initially advised workers to conform. However the company later reversed its steering, telling workers to “pause” their answering of the e-mail.

Workers on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, Nationwide Institutes of Well being, and the Meals and Drug Administration, that are a part of HHS, have been advised by particular person businesses to attend till Monday for extra steering.

NASA is working to challenge steering on how workers ought to reply, after initially asking staff to conform.

Employees on the Social Safety Administration and Client Monetary Safety Bureau have been advised to conform.

Many workers on the CFPB, which the Trump administration is hoping to dismantle, have been advised to cease working earlier this month. The Sunday e mail mentioned: “If you weren’t capable of carry out duties/work… you might reply and easily reference that you simply have been complying with the present work stoppage.”

Workers from the Nationwide Transportation Security Board — tasked with investigating an unprecedented string of air disasters over the past month — have additionally been requested to justify what they did on the job final week. It’s not clear how the NTSB workers might be directed to reply. The deadline to reply is 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday.

Learn extra about how businesses are responding.