'Fired Up to Make These Goons as Frustrated as Possible': Federal Workers Find Fighting Spirit

Following a Tuesday memo sent from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offering most of the federal workforce the option to resign or remain in their positions but without "full assurance regarding the certainty of [a worker's] position or agency," federal employees are taking to the social media platform Reddit to find solidarity and urge each other to stick it out.

"This non 'buyout' really seems to have backfired," wrote one user on subreddit for government workers and contractors, r/fednews.

"I'll be honest, before that email went out, I was looking for any way to get out of this fresh hell. But now I am fired up to make these goons as frustrated as possible, [President Donald Trump's return to in-person work directive] be damned. Hold the line!" the user wrote.

Common Dreams has included quotes from Reddit users who indicate they are federal employees, but did not independently verify their employment with the federal government.

Some media reports have called the OPM offer a "buyout," though the union the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and other observers have said it is merely an offer to resign, effective in September, with the ability to telework between now and September.

Federal employees have until February 6 to accept the offer, according to the email.

"The program is not buyout nor is it a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment ('VISP') program. Instead, it purports to offer employees the ability to submit a deferred resignation and claims employees that do so will continue to receive pay, while still possibly working, until September 30, 2025," according to a fact sheet from AFGE.

AFGE and at least one other union representing federal employees have urged their members not to resign by responding to OPM's email.

Meanwhile, the OPM email has also sparked federal worker pride on Reddit.

A self-described "blue collar fed" wrote on Wednesday that the memo demonstrated that the current administration fundamentally misunderstands "the kind of person who works for the federal government."

"If we were able to be bought with empty promises and dubious buyouts, we'd be in the private sector, making 25% more money than we do here," the user wrote. "We swore an oath to the Constitution and the people of these United States of America. We're here because we know that not everyone can do the jobs we do, and we know that what we do is important."

A Thursday post from a user expressing low morale in the face of the Trump administration's moves targeting federal workers and worrying that they could be fired, was met with encouragement and calls to remain strong. "This is mental warfare. Don't quit. Hold the line," a user wrote in response.

Multiple nonfederal workers said they were heartened by the solidarity and fighting spirit exhibited on r/fednews.

President of the group Run for Something, Amanda Litman, posted on X that one of the threads had her "in [her] feelings."

Unions representing federal employees are also fighting back against Trump administration actions focused on civil servants. Three unions have filed two separate lawsuits challenging Trump's "Schedule F" executive order, a measure aimed at removing job protections for many career federal employees.