A U.S. judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Trump administration's proposed buyout for federal workers until at least Monday, giving an initial win to labor unions that sued to stop it.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge George O'Toole in Boston pushes back a midnight deadline set by the Trump administration, which is pressuring federal workers to leave their jobs in an unprecedented drive to overhaul the federal government.
O'Toole could opt to delay the buyout further or block it on a more permanent basis when he next considers the legal challenge by the unions at a hearing on Monday.
The buyout proposal has upended Washington, sparking street protests and accusations by labor unions and opposition Democrats that Republican President Donald Trump is violating multiple laws.
The offer promises to pay employees' salaries until October, but that may not be ironclad. Current spending laws expire on March 14 and there is no guarantee that salaries will be funded beyond that point.
The Education Department told staffers that accept it that their paychecks could stop at any time, media outlets reported. Labor unions and Democrats have said the offer is not trustworthy.
Some federal employees said they were heartened by Thursday's court ruling.
"It's a glimmer of hope that the courts might help us and block the whole resignation program," said an employee at the General Services Administration, which manages federal properties.
The buyout encompasses not only employees at domestic agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency that have traditionally drawn the ire of Trump's Republicans, but intelligence agencies like the CIA as well.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said more than 40,000 federal employees had accepted the buyout offer so far, roughly 2% of the federal government's 2.3 million civilian workforce.
Roughly 6% of federal workers retire or resign in a typical year, according to the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.
The administration said earlier in the day that those who do not accept the buyout could still lose their jobs.
The White House has sought to identify workers hired within the last two years, who lack full civil-service protections and would be easier to fire.
It has also ordered agency officials to identify those appointed by Trump's predecessor, former President Joe Biden, who remain in civil-service jobs, as well as those who have received poor performance ratings.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House is planning to order the Food and Drug Administration and other health-care agencies to fire thousands of workers. The White House denied the report.
Federal workers say they are operating in a climate of fear and uncertainty.
Workers said they were downloading pay and benefit records that they feared could be erased from government computers as they weighed whether to take a buyout deal that might not be honored or stay on with the knowledge they could be fired.
"In the halls most people are stopping to ask one another what their decision will be, with many people saying they are scared because we are caught between two bad choices and very little time to make the decision," said one Treasury Department executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The White House says it is following through on Trump's campaign promise to cut wasteful spending and slim down a bureaucracy that many conservatives see as left-leaning and unresponsive to the president's agenda.
Trump has tasked Elon Musk, the world's richest person, with leading the overhaul effort.
Musk and his aides have moved rapidly, turning up at agencies throughout Washington to demand access to sensitive information, including personnel files. Their efforts have resulted in purges of staff in several departments and a significant scaling down of operations of America's main humanitarian aid agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Among the data Musk's team has been examining are Medicare and Medicaid payments to older Americans and lower-income enrollees.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
18 Comments
Login to comment
TaiwanIsNotChina
Should just have reversed this program entirely: no money = no buyout.
bass4funk
It will happen, just a matter of time. Just another stall...will win on appeal...I guess the Democrats haven't realized their income is about to drop drastically and they are out here wasting money on frivolous lawsuits that will go nowhere and only delay things by a few days...I guess they don't care that they will soon be broke
Blacklabel
40-50,000 already accepted.
once a court has to say it’s perfectly legal to do this and it’s much more generous then a “RIF”? I would expect even more to take it.
Yrral
Blacklabel,you have no.knowlege of the law,judge prohibit anyone from accepting Trump buyout,which goes against general labor law
Yrral
People should go.to court in DC ,and get a restraining order against Trump engaging in civil rights conspiracy and violations of statutory law
bass4funk
But that’s not happening
Ah_so
It's like watching two drunk pyromaniacs with some matches and kerosine. They just can't figure out what to torch, but they love the flames, and who cares about the consequences?
ok1517
Trump and associates more and more Nero-style.
You know, that guy who burned down Rome for his own pleasure.
Why don't people understand: this is a dictatorship-in-the-making.
Replace everyone who is not willing to kiss your arse with those who bow to you.
Have those with little to no qualifications installed - because they will obey you.
Suppress any opposition.
Not difficult to understand where this will end.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Are you under the impression that congress has cut a dime ever?
TaiwanIsNotChina
Blue states will still be the ones paying for the flyover freeloaders.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Congratulations. You achieved what, half of the regular yearly turnover in the federal government? Maybe more people are staying on this year to stick it to you.
nishikat
It's just an offer
TaiwanIsNotChina
An offer with penalties for the offeree and no benefit is a scam.
wallace
Workers have contracts and protections. There are 3 million federal workers.
1% of that workforce has chosen to take part - making up between 20,000 to 40,000 federal workers.
Probably those on the bottom of the ladder.
nishikat
Right....just take a deep breath (and consult a third party if needed) then ignore it. If there is legal harassment then it's on the tax payer dime. Illegal firings like this can cost in the seven figures that tax payers must pay. Just ask McCabe of FBI. Now times that by the thousands or ten thousands. Thanks Trump. Remember, Trump can't even keep a casino business and casinos going out of business is rare.
plasticmonkey
Trump, Musk, and Vought are intent on making sure no one but die hard loyalists work for the federal government. That means a whole lot of incompetent dolts running the bureaucracy. Because we know the intelligence level of MAGA folk.
This is not going to be good for America.
Blacklabel
turnover means people get replaced with other people.
these 40,000+ will not be replaced, thus its costs savings- not “turnover”.
nishikat
Trump will want to be careful. If people are fired illegally and/or harassed, it will cost the taxpayers a lot.
Former FBI agent Peter Strzok reaches $1.2 million settlement with DOJ: Lawyers
(News source) And times that by the many many that Trump is trying to fire - at least harass. This is tax loss and it's all on Trump. Remember, Trump can't even keep a casino in business. Trump people.....do you realize the potential liability to US tax payers from what Trump is doing? These illegal firings and harassments?