The U.S. Department of Education is offering employees a $25,000 buyout package as part of broader workforce reduction initiatives. Employees had until 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 3, to accept the offer.
“This is a one-time offer in advance of a very significant Reduction in Force for the US Department of Education,” wrote Jacqueline Clay, chief human capital officer, in an email sent last Friday afternoon. The Education Department has confirmed this information.
The buyout plan aligns with President Trump’s campaign promises to significantly reduce or eliminate the department. Trump has consistently criticized the agency, arguing that taxpayers aren’t receiving adequate value for their investment.
This initiative is part of the administration’s larger effort to reduce the federal workforce. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has been appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with identifying $1 trillion in federal spending cuts.
Earlier this year, the administration offered all federal workers eight months’ salary to resign from their positions. Approximately 75,000 federal employees—about 3% of the civilian workforce—have accepted this deferred buyout option, which has withstood legal challenges.
Federal employees also received a separate email from the Office of Personnel Management requesting them to share five bullet points about their recent accomplishments. This request created confusion across agencies after Musk suggested on social media that non-respondents would be considered to have resigned.
Several departments, including Defense and the FBI, initially advised employees not to respond while they determined the best approach. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has since announced that civilian employees are expected to respond to the “What have you done this week?” email.