White House defends its ‘Fork in the Road’ offer to federal employees

The White House is pushing back against what it is calling “misinformation” by the federal employees union, which has urged government workers not to accept an offer from the Trump administration to resign from their jobs by Feb. 6 and go on leave with pay through the end of September.

In its first public response to the campaign, the Office of Personnel Management on Monday argued union leaders and their attorneys are doing their members a disservice.

“This is a rare, generous opportunity — one that was thoroughly vetted and intentionally designed to support employees through restructuring,” said McLaurine Pinover, spokesperson for OPM. “Instead of spreading misinformation and using workers as political pawns, they should be making sure federal employees have the facts and freedom to make the best decision for themselves and their families.”

The deferred resignation offer, which came in an email with the subject line “Fork in the Road,” comes as President Trump has pushed to overhaul the federal workforce.

“We’d love to have them leave,” Trump said last week when asked about the message. “We’re trying to reduce the government.”

Employment lawyers questioned whether such an offer was legal because Congress, not the White House, is responsible for authorizing workers’ pay.

“Federal employees should know that approved union contracts are enforceable by law, and the president does not have the authority to make unilateral changes to those agreements,” the American Federation of Government Employees advised members in a statement.

But the White House argues it went through extensive legal review to ensure fairness and compliance.

Administration officials say a large-scale reduction is already happening, and that many employees risk losing out on an opportunity for additional financial stability as agencies adjust their workforces.

The changes have sown fear in the federal workforce, and mixed messaging from the White House and various federal agencies has caused broad confusion over what happens next.