Attorney General Kris Mayes recently issued a warning to federal employees about a dubious "deferred resignation" program proposed by the Trump administration. As reported by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, the program would ostensibly allow employees to continue to get paid through September 30, if they choose to resign by the quickly approaching deadline of February 6. Mayes has stated that the offer might not be reliable or enforceable and has emphasized the importance of Arizona workers staying informed and heeding their union's advice.
According to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, those who accept the offer would remain on the payroll and retain benefits, all while being freed from the requirement to work in person until the end of September 2025. A follow-up email from the OPM on January 30 appeared to further encourage employees to quickly decide to leave their positions by suggesting they find more productive employment outside the government. Furthermore, they cautioned that employees who choose not to resign could not be guaranteed job security.
The reaction has been a unified front of concern across the nation, with Attorney General Mayes joining forces with attorneys general from numerous states including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, and Washington. This coalition is publicly pushing back against what they perceive to be an unreliable offer, seeking to shield federal employees from potentially empty promises. "Federal employees in Arizona need to understand the buyout offer from the Trump administration is completely unreliable and may be unenforceable," Mayes told in a statement. "My office will do everything in our power to protect Arizona workers and we urge you to follow your union's guidance. This so-called buyout offer is yet another attack that will cripple the critical federal services Arizonans rely on."
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