MARYLAND (DC News Now) — On Monday, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined a coalition of 11 other attorney generals in warning federal employees about the Trump administration’s buyout offer.
The buyout offer, formally referred to as the “deferred resignation program,” offers federal employees pay through Sept. 30, 2025, if they resign by Feb. 6.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the government’s human resources agency, announced the buyout on Jan. 28, when they emailed millions of federal workers detailing the program.
The email told employees that if they accepted the offer and resigned, they would be exempt from new in-person work requirements and continue receiving all pay and benefits until Sept. 30. Per the new-in-person requirements, which Trump mandated through an executive order on his first day in office, federal workers will now be required to return to the office full-time.
According to the attorney general’s office, the OPM then sent another email to federal employees on Jan. 30, emphasizing the offer and encouraging them to find “higher productivity” jobs outside the government.
The email also stated that employees have until Thursday, Feb. 6, to decide whether they will accept the buyout or remain in their jobs; however, it is not guaranteed that those who choose to stay will keep their positions.
“Federal employees are hardworking and dedicated civil servants who provide critical services to the people of the United States and Maryland,” said Brown, regarding the offer. “The terms of this vague, so-called ‘deferred resignation’ puts federal employees in an ambiguous position and risks straining essential government resources that people across the State and country rely on to live full, healthy lives.”
The attorney general’s office noted that “immediately” following the OPM’s second email, unions representing federal workers warned their members about the offer, advising them against it. An example includes the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, which warned its members that those who take the offer are not guaranteed its benefits.
In warning federal workers, Brown joined attorney generals from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Deleware, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont and Washington.
