State Attorney General Anne Lopez and AGs from 11 other states are advising federal employees to be wary when considering the Trump administration’s deferred resignation offer. 

What You Need To Know

  • The program promises to pay federal employees their regular salary and benefits and exempt them from in-person work requirements until Sept. 30 if they resign their position by Feb. 6.

  • State Attorney General Anne Lopez: 'We urge federal employees to be cautious and follow their union guidance to protect their rights'

  • Joining Attorney Lopez in issuing the warning to federal employees are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington

  • Unions representing federal employees have already warned their members against accepting the deferred resignation offer

The program promises to pay federal employees their regular salary and benefits and exempt them from in-person work requirements until Sept. 30 if they resign from their positions by Feb. 6.

The Office of Personnel Management sent the offer via email to millions of federal employees on Jan. 28. OPM sent a follow-up email on January 30, reiterating the offer, encouraging workers to seek “higher productivity” jobs in the private sector, and warning those who declined that job security wasn’t guaranteed.

The offer does not extend to positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, the U.S. Postal Service, the military, or ones specifically excluded by their employing agency.

“Federal workers are part of our Hawaii ohana,” Lopez said in a statement released on Monday. “They provide vital support to Hawaii through a host of services, programs and resources tied to drug intervention, internet crimes against children, public corruption, agriculture, commerce, defense, education, energy, health, transportation and veterans’ affairs. We urge federal employees to be cautious and follow their union guidance to protect their rights.”  

Joining Attorney Lopez in issuing the warning to federal employees, are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Washington.

Unions representing federal employees have already warned their members against accepting the deferred resignation offer.

“Employees should not take the Program at face value,” AFGE stated in an FAQ released to its members. “The Program documentation, including the introductory email, and the associated guidance memorandum issued by the Office of Personnel Management on January 28, 2025, and the OPM-issued FAQs, are riddled with inconsistencies and uncertainties.”

The union further warns that OPM offers no assurances that it will fund the promised continued salaries after current appropriations for most civilian agencies expire on March 14.

Randy Erwin, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, was more pointed in his warning to NFFE members.

“Unlike structured programs that the federal government offered in the past to decrease the number of federal employees, this maneuver is intended to panic civil servants into accepting what seems like a sweet deal but is probably a scam,” Erwin said in a message posted to the NFFE website.

Erwin said the program’s purpose is to replace nonpartisan civil servants with political operatives loyal to the president.

“This administration and its controlling interests, like Elon Musk, count on civil servants to leave or submit to political pressure and corruption,” he said.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.