Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force, recently caused a stir by sending a surprising email to federal workers. The email, sent on February 22, gave employees an ultimatum: they had to list five tasks they completed in the past week by 11:59 PM on Monday, or they would be considered to have resigned. This unusual demand left many federal workers confused and worried over the weekend.
Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, explained on Twitter that the purpose of the email was to see which employees were actively engaged and responsive. He wrote, “This was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email.” He added that the exercise was meant to identify who was actually working and paying attention, saying, “Lot of people in for a rude awakening and strong dose of reality. They don’t get it yet, but they will.”
The email was confirmed as legitimate by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the government’s HR agency. However, it sparked criticism from some officials. A Pentagon official called it “the silliest thing I’ve seen in 40 years,” arguing that it bypassed the normal chain of command. Several key departments, including the FBI and intelligence agencies, advised their employees not to respond to Musk’s email. FBI Director Kash Patel told his team to pause any responses, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard instructed staff to ignore the email due to the sensitive nature of their work.
Despite the pushback, Musk claimed he received a “large number of good responses” by Sunday, February 23, and suggested that those who replied should be considered for promotions. He also hinted that employees who shared the Pentagon official’s critical attitude “need to look for a new job.”
This move by Musk is part of his broader effort to cut government costs and improve efficiency. The DOGE task force claims to have saved $55 billion so far by canceling contracts, selling assets, and detecting fraud across various government departments. However, his unconventional methods have clearly caused tension within the federal workforce.
The incident highlights the challenges of implementing drastic changes in government operations, especially when they disrupt established processes and hierarchies. While Musk’s goal is to make the government more efficient, his approach has raised questions about how best to achieve that without causing unnecessary confusion or frustration among employees.
