Musk to U.S. workers: Prove your worth or lose your job

The Trump administration has ordered U.S. federal employees to submit a list of their work accomplishments by Monday night or risk losing their jobs, raising legal and procedural questions over mass firings.

The emails, sent on Saturday from the Office of Personnel Management, instructed employees across multiple federal agencies to provide five bullet points detailing their work in the past week. The request, issued under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), followed a social media post by Musk warning that failure to respond would be considered a resignation.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader push to shrink the federal workforce, a process that has already led to job losses, some of which had to be reversed due to the need for essential workers in areas like defense and nuclear safety.

Labour unions have vowed to challenge any dismissals, calling them unlawful and warning of disruption to public services. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) accused the administration of disregarding the role of civil servants.

Legal experts have raised questions over Musk’s authority to fire federal employees and the inclusion of judiciary workers, who are not part of the executive branch. Some agencies have advised staff to delay responding while assessing the email’s validity.

The administration’s restructuring efforts have drawn criticism, with concerns that indiscriminate firings could harm local economies and undermine essential government functions.

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