Government Executive reports:

Following the haphazard rollout Tuesday of a plan the White House claimed offered “buyouts” to nearly the entire federal workforce but ultimately looked more like extended paid leave prior to leaving government, federal employee groups, Democratic lawmakers and good government experts are warning federal workers not to respond to the Trump administration’s “deferred resignation” email.

According to the terms of the offer, if a federal employee decides to resign by Feb. 6, they can retain their current pay and benefits until Sept. 30. Although federal regulations cap buyouts through the Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment program at $25,000, the administration appears to be circumventing this by instructing agencies to place resigning employees on paid administrative leave for the remainder of the fiscal year.

By Tuesday morning, a consensus had emerged among unions and other federal employe associations: Don’t take the deal. Between the questionable legal authority to grant deferred resignations, a lack of guarantee that an employees’ resignation will be accepted and that their pay and benefits will actually continue, and Elon Musk’s involvement and past history with mass resignation efforts, feds should be wary, they said.

“Right now, we have more questions than answers about this email and the ‘deferred resignation program,’” reads an email from Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers to union locals. “We know of no underlying policy nor any authority under which OPM is offering ‘deferred resignation.’ We ask you . . . to tell [bargaining unit employees] not to ‘resign’ and accept the terms of the ‘deferred resignation program.’”

In an FAQ compiled for members, the American Federation of Government Employees warned of potential loopholes the administration could exploit to avoid paying employees who accepted the resignation offer. [Continue reading…]