A federal judge in Boston has stopped Trump’s buyout offer for federal workers. The ruling came just hours before workers had to decide whether to leave their jobs.
The judge, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole, made the decision on Thursday. He will hold another hearing on Monday. The Trump team said that delaying the plan would cause problems for the workers who had already agreed to leave. They said the delay would slow down plans to change the government.
The White House agreed with the delay. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the delay would let workers think more about the offer. She called it a “rare opportunity.” But unions argue that Trump wants to get rid of workers who don’t support his ideas. Everett Kelley, from the American Federation of Government Employees, said he would keep fighting the plan.
Under the buyout plan, workers who leave by February 6 would get eight months of pay and benefits. But workers don’t know how this will affect their pensions, health insurance, or future jobs. Critics worry about what they will be required to do after accepting the offer.
Congress hasn’t approved funding for government agencies after March 14. So, it’s unclear whether the promised payments will happen.
If workers don’t take the offer, they might face furloughs. Most agencies will downsize, except for the Department of Defense.
Trump also wants workers to return to in-person jobs and meet strict performance rules. Critics argue these new rules will make the workplace hostile. They believe this will push workers to quit.
As of Thursday, only 40,000 workers had accepted the buyout offer. That’s only 2% of the total workforce. This is far below the White House’s goal of reducing staff by 5 to 10 percent.
The outcome of Monday’s hearing will decide if the buyout plan will move forward.
