Multiple federal agencies appeared to be caught off guard by the Elon Musk-directed email from the Office of Personnel Management on Saturday that demanded employees detail their weekly accomplishments.
Management across multiple agencies have begun informing their staff that they are waiting on further guidance and, in some cases, telling them to hold off replying, according to multiple sources.
Those agencies include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Energy.
Elon Musk speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Feb. 20, 2025.
Will Oliver/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The Pentagon has also instructed civilian employees to wait for legal guidance before responding.
Some law enforcement agencies — including the FBI — have also instructed employees to “pause” any responses to the OPM email.
In an email to all NOAA staff obtained by ABC News, Rear Adm. Chad Cary stated that the message “came as a surprise to all departments, and NOAA leadership is seeking guidance.”
Cary also recommended not submitting anything until late Monday in case additional guidance is provided.
Sources told ABC News that employees at FEMA had also been directed to hold off responding.
At the IRS, the acting commissioner informed staff that the officials there are awaiting guidance from the Treasury regarding the email — but did not specifically advise staff on whether or not to respond.
“We are aware that employees have begun receiving the email below from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We have reached out to the Department of Treasury for guidance and will share additional information on Monday,” according to the email obtained by ABC News.
Some CDC employees told ABC News that their teams are still waiting for guidance from agency leadership on how to proceed. One employee said their manager advised waiting until Monday — in hopes of receiving more details about the process.
Employees at the Department of Energy also received an email from their direct management telling them they are still waiting for more details.
The OPM email, with the subject line “What did you do last week,” instructs employees to provide a brief list of approximately five accomplishments in the past week with a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Monday.
The email came after Musk posted on X that failure on the part of federal employees to respond to the email would be taken as a resignation.
Late last month, an email sent to nearly the entire federal workforce with the subject line “Fork in the Road,” offered employees the option of a “deferred resignation,” in which they could leave their jobs but continue to collect a paycheck through September.
About 75,000 federal employees accepted the buyout offer.