Forced Relocation: Trump's Latest Strategy to Reshape Federal Workforce

The U.S. government's human resources agency instructed employees to decide within nine days about relocating to Washington, a move regarded by unions as a tactic to encourage resignations. This directive aligns with President Trump's agenda for federal workforce restructuring, aiming to streamline the government by moving jobs and reducing staff.

The U.S. government's human resources agency has issued a controversial directive, requiring at least two dozen employees to decide in just nine days whether to relocate to Washington, D.C. Unions and governance experts are criticizing this as a strategic move to push federal workers to resign.

An email from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) informed remote workers of their potential transfer, some living thousands of miles away. The memo declared that those who refuse relocation might face limited employment options or even termination, although severance pay could be offered. This unprecedented demand from President Trump's administration marks a shift in its strategy towards centralizing federal jobs.

While the administration, headed by Trump and his efficiency czar Elon Musk, aims to cut costs by relocating federal roles across the U.S., critics claim this is a thinly-veiled attempt to shrink the federal workforce. Despite some bipartisan agreement on reforming the civil service, the unions and employees have raised concerns over the abruptness and scale of these changes.

(With inputs from agencies.)