The Trump administration is dangling buyouts in front of a disheartened federal work force, hoping to lure a large chunk into leaving voluntarily as the president and his allies reshape the government.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and individual agencies have bombarded federal employees with emails offering a “deferred resignation,” which promises employees they would retain full salary and benefits without working through Sept. 30. The offer, dubbed “A Fork in the Road,” has raised legal and logistical questions, including the fact that Congress has only funded the government through mid-March.

Federal employees have until Thursday to accept the offer. As the deadline approaches, agencies have amped up the pressure on employees, sending frequent “reminders” and a copy of the contract they would have to sign to accept the deferred resignation.

The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) this week has upped the ante for federal employees who choose to remain in the path of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the cost-cutting unit led by billionaire Elon Musk.

President Trump appointed Musk to head DOGE shortly after his victory in November. In response to criticisms that Americans did not vote for Musk, Vice President Vance posted on X Wednesday, “They did however vote for Donald Trump who promised repeatedly to have Elon Musk root out wasteful spending in our government."

Here are five things to watch ahead of the deadline.

© The Hill