On Friday, employees from the US Digital Service, now part of Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative, met with Stephanie Holmes, who introduced herself as a member of the DOGE team and the new HR representative for staff.
During the meeting, which commenced at noon ET, numerous USDS employees directed inquiries at Holmes concerning the previous week’s “Fork in the Road” email that presented federal workers with the option of “deferred resignations.” Documents detailing the meeting, obtained by WIRED and verified by attendees, indicated the range of questions addressed—from the future of ongoing staff projects to whether office return mandates would apply to those working remotely, as well as the precise nature of the offer being made to employees by the federal government.
Holmes—who did not respond immediately to a request for commentary—could only adequately respond to a limited number of the inquiries posed. When asked, she conveyed that the offer was “lawful” and reiterated, “We believe the offer is lawful,” yet was unable to provide further clarity. At one point, in response to a query about whether there would be a more formal method to accept the buyout rather than by simply replying to an email with “resign” in the subject line, one employee raised concerns that outside parties could potentially send resignation emails impersonating staff by spoofing their addresses.
“I presume that if employees opt for the deferred resignation, there is some kind of actual agreement we would sign,” one staff member remarked. “Can we review that agreement in advance? Is it possible to receive a copy of the agreement if one exists?”
“I don’t know,” Holmes replied. “But I will follow up on that.”
This confusion arises with the looming February 6 deadline for federal employees to accept the offer. The email—in strikingly similar fashion to one Musk sent to Twitter employees in 2022—suggests that those who opt not to resign could still face job loss later. Holmes was asked if she could provide a specific timeframe for when the DOGE workforce would receive more details on the deferred resignation offers.
“No,” Holmes replied. “I think you have all the information that is currently available to you. You will need to make a personal decision based on that information.”
The same employee interjected, stating, “I’m sorry for interrupting, but there are several points raised in this room that are conflicting or difficult to grasp … I’m curious as to why you cannot commit to providing those specifics at this moment.”
“I appreciate your question, and I don’t intend to be repetitive or come off as confrontational, but I would encourage you to maintain perspective,” Holmes replied. “The advantages of accepting the deferred resignation include a guaranteed protection from reduction in force and exemption from the return to office mandate. So I would ask you to focus on the generous elements of the offer.”
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Upon assuming office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, by reorganizing the US Digital Service, a prior entity situated within the executive office of the president, into the US DOGE Service. Trump appointed Elon Musk to lead DOGE, which aims to significantly reduce spending across various government agencies. As of the time of publication, DOGE is facing at least three lawsuits challenging its status as a federal agency.
Under Musk’s leadership, he has appointed key individuals at the top tiers and now intends to utilize it as a means to assert control over the federal government. Previously, the US Digital Service was a relatively compact agency consisting of around 200 employees. Its mission was to assist in resolving technological dysfunctions across the government, granting it the ability to access and rectify software and technical systems within government agencies.
