Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is shaking up the federal workforce with a bold new mandate: all government employees must report their accomplishments weekly or face termination. The move aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader efforts to eliminate bureaucratic waste and improve efficiency within the federal government.
Musk made the announcement on X, explaining that an email will be sent to all federal employees asking them to document their work over the past week. “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” Musk posted. “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week.
Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2025
The directive appears to be aimed at increasing accountability within the federal workforce, ensuring that employees are actively contributing to their agencies rather than coasting on taxpayer dollars. Musk emphasized that the requirement is not burdensome, saying, “To be clear, the bar is very low here. An email with some bullet points that make any sense at all is acceptable! Should take less than 5 mins to write.”
The policy is already sparking debate, with supporters applauding Musk’s commitment to cutting government inefficiency, while critics argue that the move is heavy-handed. However, the broader push for accountability is nothing new—Trump has long advocated for reducing bloated government payrolls and ensuring that taxpayer money is spent on productive work rather than bureaucratic inertia.
This latest initiative under DOGE sends a clear message: the days of unaccountable government jobs with little oversight are over. With Musk leading the charge, federal employees can no longer assume that their positions are guaranteed regardless of performance. The expectation is simple—produce results or step aside.
