Demonstrators hold signs in support of federal workers outside of the LEnfant metro station in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. 2025. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

In what appears to be the first court case challenging the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) email demanding federal employees submit their accomplishments, a coalition of unions has argued that the requirement is unlawful, CNN reported on Monday (February 24).

Lawsuit initially filed against mass firings

The unions had initially filed a lawsuit in a California federal court last week, seeking to block the Trump administration’s mass firing of federal workers. However, they amended their complaint on Sunday after an email from [email protected] was sent out, instructing employees to list five accomplishments from the past week by Monday at midnight.

Musk links non-response to resignation

Elon Musk, a close Trump advisor and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted on social media that failure to respond would be “taken as a resignation.”

Unions argue OPM email violates regulations

The unions argue, as per the news report, that the OPM email directive was never officially announced in the Federal Register as a policy or program, making it noncompliant with federal regulations. “Prior to February 22, 2025, federal employees were not required to submit any reports regarding their work to OPM. On information and belief, no OPM rule, regulation, policy, or program has ever, in United States history, purported to require all federal workers to submit reports to OPM,” the unions stated in court filings, the report stated.

Unions seek emergency court intervention

The lawsuit seeks emergency intervention from US District Judge William Alsup, a Bill Clinton appointee in the Northern District of California. CNN noted that past legal challenges to similar government directives have largely failed to secure indefinite emergency relief.

Previous privacy complaint dismissed

A prior lawsuit in Washington, D.C., attempted to restrict the OPM email directive, arguing it improperly collected government emails and personal data. However, OPM provided a privacy impact assessment, leading the court to dismiss the challenge.

Musk orders federal employees to report work

Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump, has ordered all federal employees to submit a report detailing their accomplishments from the previous week by Monday (February 24). Failure to comply will be considered a resignation.

The directive, with emails titled “What did you do last week?”, has been sent to agencies including the SEC, NOAA, and CDC. The move has triggered backlash from federal employees and unions, raising legal and ethical concerns.

The order follows President Trump’s call on Truth Social for DOGE to intensify efforts to downsize the federal workforce.

Chaos as Musk’s mandate faces resistance

Confusion has gripped the federal workforce as hundreds of thousands of employees face a Monday deadline to report their accomplishments or risk termination under an order from Elon Musk, President Trump’s cost-cutting chief.

The directive has sparked resistance from major agencies, including the FBI, State Department, Homeland Security, and the Pentagon, which have instructed employees not to comply.

Rising tensions between federal workers and Trump Administration

The latest lawsuit underscores growing tensions between federal workers, the Trump administration, and Musk’s role in government operations.