BREAKING: Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration’s Buyout Deadline for Federal Workers
Court to Review Legality of Controversial Program on Monday
A federal judge has put a temporary hold on the Trump administration’s deadline for federal employees to accept buyouts, pausing the program amid growing legal challenges. The judge scheduled a hearing for Monday to determine whether the initiative complies with federal law.
Tens of Thousands of Federal Workers Affected
More than 40,000 federal employees—about 2% of the total workforce—have already accepted the buyout offer, which was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday. Earlier in the day, the administration assured workers in a mass email that the deadline would not be extended.
Lawsuit Challenges Legality of ‘Fork Directive’
At the center of the dispute is the “Fork Directive,” a buyout policy allowing federal employees to submit a deferred resignation. Under this arrangement, workers would stop reporting to work but continue receiving full pay and benefits through September.
Federal employee unions filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, arguing that the program lacks transparency and raises serious legal concerns. The lawsuit, filed in a Massachusetts court, asserts that the buyout offer fails to specify how the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) can fund the program without a direct appropriation from Congress.
Unions Claim the Program Pressures Employees to Resign
The lawsuit alleges that the buyout offer violates federal law and creates a coercive work environment by pressuring employees to resign.
“To leverage employees into accepting the offer and resigning, the Fork Directive threatens employees with eventual job loss in the event that they refuse to resign,” the suit states.
Union leaders are urging the court to declare the buyout program unlawful and require the administration to provide a clear legal justification before moving forward. They are also pushing for an extended deadline to allow workers more time to evaluate their options.
Court Hearing Set for Monday
With the judge’s temporary block now in place, the administration must defend the legality of the program in court on Monday. The ruling could have major implications for thousands of federal employees weighing whether to accept the buyout or risk potential job cuts.
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