February 6 2025 - 8:00pm
Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has achieved something remarkable: convincing tens of thousands of federal employees to voluntarily resign. While falling well short of the administration’s ambitious target of 100,000 to 200,000 departures, these 40,000 resignations represent the largest voluntary exodus from federal service in American history. Even as the White House denies reports that it’s drafting orders to cut thousands more workers from health agencies, America’s vast bureaucratic apparatus is facing one of the biggest shake-ups in its history.
The innovation — and potential danger — of this voluntary resignation program lies in its circumvention of America’s robust civil service protections. The administration has effectively created a two-track approach: pursue controversial reclassifications through Schedule F (his attempt, based on a 2020 executive order, to strip job protections from civil servants by reclassifying them as “policy-making” positions) while simultaneously incentivizing departures through voluntary resignations so there are fewer legal headaches. In doing so, the administration has changed the cultural perception of federal employment from “safe career” to something more temporary — a psychological transformation that may prove more consequential than the actual number of departures.
Previous attempts at federal workforce reduction, including Trump’s first-term efforts, crumbled in the face of legal challenges. But these departures show how carefully structured voluntary programs can achieve what direct confrontation cannot. While unions and advocacy groups are mounting fresh legal challenges to Trump’s attempt to strip employment protections— with the National Treasury Employees Union and PEER already filing suits over due process violations — they have far fewer options when workers choose to leave.
However, there is still a huge amount of uncertainty with the scheme. Career coaches report their clients wrestling with basic questions: can they take other jobs during this period? And will they maintain access to retirement benefits? For some, this makes the deal less attractive. But others, particularly those close to retirement or extremely burned out on the work, may see an opportunity: essentially paid job-search time with none of the usual restrictions of federal service.
This approach carries undeniable risks. Brain drain is a real concern — the longest-tenured or most marketable federal employees, those with either specialized technical skills or institutional knowledge, will likely be the first ones to leave. There’s also the question of whether Musk, whose management style at X and Tesla has often favored dramatic gestures over slow but steady reforms, is the right person to oversee such a delicate restructuring. While Trump seems content to let Musk play the villain for now, tensions could emerge if DOGE’s actions start affecting critical government functions or generating too much negative press.
Looking ahead, DOGE’s approach — if pursued through the year — could prove more consequential than Trump’s other, far more publicized initiatives. While immigration raids and tariff wars generate headlines, the quiet erosion of federal workforce stability represents a fundamental shift in how American government operates. The question isn’t whether these 40,000 departures hit arbitrary targets, but whether they signal the beginning of a permanent transformation in how Americans view government service. For good or ill, early signs suggest they might.
Oliver Bateman is a historian and journalist based in Pittsburgh. He blogs, vlogs, and podcasts at his Substack, Oliver Bateman Does the Work
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