Key Takeaways:

• Federal employees received a second round of emails asking them to report their weekly accomplishments.
• Conflicting guidance from various agencies is causing confusion, with some instructing employees not to respond.
• Elon Musk's directives have led to concerns about potential consequences, including termination for non-compliance.

Federal employees are experiencing increased scrutiny from the Trump administration as they received a second wave of email demands from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. The latest emails require workers to outline their accomplishments, fueling concerns and sparking a backlash among federal workers, who likened the demand to authoritarian tactics akin to "living in North Korea," as expressed by one employee in a viral video Newsweek.

On Friday, the second round of emails titled "What did you do last week? Part II" rolled into employee inboxes, asking them to respond with five bullet points detailing their work achievements from the previous week by 11:59 p.m. on Mondays going forward. This directive follows Musk's earlier ultimatum where he controversially stated that failure to respond would be treated as a resignation Business Insider.

Despite initial agency resistance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently issued an order directing all civilian employees at the Defense Department to comply with Musk's request, acknowledging previous advice to pause responses had changed after a review of Pentagon procedures Forbes.

However, many agencies, including the Department of Justice and the State Department, have advised employees against replying or suggested that responses should be sent in aggregate to ensure collective security and confidentiality concerns over sensitive information. This guidance is rooted in fears that mass disclosures about employee tasks could inadvertently reveal classified operational details Newsweek.

President Trump backed Musk's email initiative, dubbing it a "brilliant idea" and has publicly stated that failing to meet the response deadline would result in staff being "semi-fired or fired" Newsweek. Trump addressed existing employment concerns by alleging that many federal employees either do not exist or are detached from their roles, asserting the need for accountability through these emails.

Despite Musk's efforts, only about half of federal employees responded to the initial email, indicating a broad skepticism towards the productivity tracking initiative Business Insider. In a post on X, he stated that the initiative is designed to ensure government employees are genuinely performing their duties: “In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used to collect paychecks.” This drastic characterization has further strained relations between employees and the administration Forbes.

The Office of Personnel Management has advised that responding to these mass emails is voluntary but has left the door open for potential varying consequences from individual agencies based on their discretion Forbes. Critics—including some within the Republican party—have voiced their concerns about the lack of compassion in Musk’s management style, urging for a more humane approach to the treatment of federal employees Forbes.

As this situation continues to unfold, the repercussions for federal employees who choose not to respond remain unclear, raising questions about Musk's accountability and the legal ramifications of his roles within the federal workforce.

For further details, you can read the original articles from Times of India, Business Insider, Newsweek, Forbes.