A federal judge in Boston, George O'Toole Jr., has temporarily paused the deadline for federal employees to accept the Trump administration's controversial buyout offer. This decision comes as over 60,000 federal workers—approximately 3% of the federal workforce—have already accepted the offer. The buyout, outlined in the "Fork Directive," allows employees to submit a deferred resignation, ceasing work while receiving pay and benefits until the end of September.
Judge O'Toole's injunction halts the Thursday night deadline, giving federal agencies until Monday to inform employees that the buyout program has been temporarily suspended. This pause will remain in effect until a court hearing on Monday, where arguments will be heard regarding a lawsuit challenging the legality of the buyout offer. The lawsuit, initiated by a group of unions representing federal workers, was filed earlier this week against the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
The unions' lawsuit asserts that critical information is missing from the buyout offer, raising concerns about whether OPM will continue to provide benefits after September. The unions seek a declaration from Judge O'Toole that the offer, as currently issued, is not legal and request that it be remanded to OPM for further consideration.
In response to the lawsuit, the Trump administration reiterated via a mass email on Thursday that the deadline for accepting the buyout offer would not extend beyond 11:59 p.m. ET. However, Judge O'Toole's intervention has provided a temporary reprieve for affected federal employees as the legal proceedings unfold.
The "Fork Directive" is aimed at reducing the federal workforce, an initiative that has drawn criticism and legal challenges from employee unions. These unions argue that the directive lacks transparency and fails to address key concerns related to employee benefits and job security.