Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X and adviser to President Donald Trump, is currently facing a lawsuit over threats he made to federal workers. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, alleges that Musk’s demand for employees to explain their accomplishments or face termination violates the law. This demand was communicated over the weekend to federal workers, prompting legal action from lawyers representing US federal workers.
The lawsuit is aimed at preventing mass layoffs orchestrated by Musk and Trump, which may be related to an email sent out by the Office of Personnel Management. This agency, serving as a human resources agency for the federal government, instructed employees to provide details of their weekly accomplishments by the end of the day on Monday.
The amended complaint filed on behalf of unions, businesses, veterans, and conservation groups argues that no previous regulation has required all federal workers to submit reports to the Office of Personnel Management. The threat of mass firings resulting from Musk’s demands is described as “one of the most massive employment frauds in the history of this country.”
Despite confusion within the administration and warnings from top officials advising against compliance, Musk continued to issue threats to federal workers. He emphasized that those who did not take the email seriously would be seeking employment elsewhere and those who refused to return to the office would be placed on administrative leave.
The controversy began when Trump expressed his desire for Musk to be more aggressive in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. Musk then followed up with an email demanding federal employees to report their accomplishments from the previous week, with a failure to respond being interpreted as a resignation.
This directive mirrors Musk’s management style in his own companies, raising concerns and resistance from key US agencies. Several agencies, including the FBI, State Department, Homeland Security, and the Pentagon, instructed their employees not to comply with Musk’s demands. Lawmakers from both parties raised concerns regarding the legality of Musk’s mandate, while unions threatened legal action.
Despite the resistance, the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., instructed its employees to comply with the email request. However, this decision was met with pushback from the acting general counsel, Sean Keveney, who expressed concerns about security and attorney-client privilege.
Keveney acknowledged a sense of uncertainty and stress among employees and highlighted the lack of assurances regarding the protection of responses to the email. The agency ultimately advised employees to pause activities related to the request until further notice, reflecting the widespread confusion and tension surrounding Musk’s demands.
