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The ‘5 things’ emails have fallen apart, as Elon Musk readies his exit from gov't — & OPM never had a plan to handle feds' responses | WashPo Scoop
When Elon Musk and President Donald Trump commanded all federal workers to submit weekly emails listing five accomplishments, they warned of harsh consequences: Failure to comply would count as a resignation. Musk called the emails an accountability measure needed to ensure staff even had a “pulse.”But records obtained by The Washington Post, as well as interviews with three dozen managers and employees across government, reveal that officials refused to comply with core aspects of the directive from the beginning.In a briefing for top human resources officers across government held just two days after Musk’s directive went out to all federal employees on Feb. 22, the Office of Personnel Management said the initiative was voluntary and noncompliance would not be considered a resignation, according to an email obtained by The Post.Further undermining Musk’s effort, OPM leaders said in the briefing that the agency did not intend to do anything with the messages that employees did submit, the email stated.As the billionaire prepares to exit government later this year and his influence appears to wane, the conflicting messages and confusion have had a predictable result. As of this month, agencies maintain an inconsistent patchwork of policies on the email responses, according to the Post analysis and the employees, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.Some federal agencies have stopped requiring the messages. A shrinking number of departments mandate strict compliance, while others say they’re requiring the emails but are not checking for compliance or tracking responses in any way that is detectable to some employees. Many federal workers who still answer the message are either churning out lightly modified versions of the same boilerplate each week — or treating the whole thing as a joke, such as by submitting replies in a foreign language.It is unclear precisely when Musk will leave the government; his status as a special government employee expires at the end of May. The billionaire wants out because he is tired of fielding what he views as a slew of nasty and unethical attacks from the political left, according to the person familiar with his thinking. He believes his departure will not diminish the power or work of DOGE, his brainchild, the person said, noting that DOGE team members are already established across scores of federal agencies.Within the federal workforce, it is unclear what the email responses are being used for, if anything. There was never a central strategy for how to handle the replies, an email obtained by The Post shows.In late February, human resources leaders known as chief human capital officers from across the government gathered for a meeting, according to the email, which detailed summary notes from the session. The meeting was led by OPM, which acts as the human resources arm for the entire government. The first topic of discussion was Musk’s “weekend email,” which he had announced on X two days prior, the notes show.In addition to declaring the emails voluntary and saying noncompliance would not count as resignation, OPM officials said their agency would not provide any further guidance to other departments about the email, although some divisions were contemplating making it a weekly requirement, according to the emailed summary.Next, the notes show, an attendee asked, “What will be done with the information that staff have provided?”“OPM’s response — No plans,” the notes state.FULL STORY GIFT LINK: https://wapo.st/42H9aabAre you a federal worker with a story to share — about DOGE activities or anything else? The Washington Post wants to hear from you. Please get in touch; we will use best secure sourcing practices and honor requests for anonymity.Hannah Natanson: [hannah.natanson@washpost.com](mailto:hannah.natanson@washpost.com) or (202) 580-5477 on Signal.Faiz Siddiqui: [faiz.siddiqui@washpost.com](mailto:faiz.siddiqui@washpost.com) or (513) 659-9944 on Signal.Emily Davies: [emily.davies@washpost.com](mailto:emily.davies@washpost.com) or emilydavies.46 on Signal.
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