The Biggest News Stories Of 2025

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

Updated Feb. 25, 2025, 11:00 a.m.

Elon Musk’s Federal Worker Ultimatum Sparks Lawsuit and Chaos

Elon Musk is stirring up controversy again—this time with federal workers. Attorneys representing government employees filed a lawsuit on Monday, arguing that Musk broke the law by demanding that workers list their accomplishments or risk losing their jobs.

This all started over the weekend when the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent an email telling employees they had to outline five things they accomplished last week—by Monday night. Musk, a top adviser to President Trump, made it clear he meant business, posting on X: “Those who do not take this email seriously will soon be furthering their career elsewhere.”

The lawsuit, filed in California, calls Musk’s move “one of the biggest employment frauds in U.S. history.” The filing, backed by unions and other groups, argues that no rule has ever required all federal workers to report directly to OPM like this.

Meanwhile, confusion spread across agencies. While some departments told employees to comply, others—like the FBI, Pentagon, and Homeland Security—flat-out told workers to ignore the email. Even lawmakers, including Republicans, questioned Musk’s aggressive approach. Senator John Curtis of Utah urged him to “show some compassion.”

Musk also doubled down on pushing employees back to the office, saying remote workers would be placed on leave if they didn’t return.

Adding fuel to the fire, Trump praised Musk but urged him to be “more aggressive.” Musk, in turn, accused the government of harboring ghost employees collecting paychecks for doing nothing—without offering any proof.

The chaos continues as thousands of federal workers now face potential layoffs or forced resignations, with no clear end in sight.

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