• Staffers at the DOE were advised not to accept President Trump’s resignation buyout before the Thursday, Feb. 6 deadline. The offer, aimed at reducing federal workers, asks employees to resign by Thursday night.
• Some officials expressed concerns over potential shutdowns and benefits.
• Federal unions and Democratic attorneys general have warned that the buyout is a tactic to pressure employees into quitting.

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Staffers at the U.S. Department of Education were told not to accept President Trump’s resignation offer one day before the Thursday, Feb. 6 deadline, according to multiple news outlets. Last week, the Trump administration offered full-time federal workers a buyout if they resigned by that date. Officials estimated that 5% to 10% of workers would leave, saving taxpayers $100 billion.

Three anonymous Education Department officials told NBC News that during a Zoom meeting Wednesday, Feb. 6, top officials explained that the government could retract the offer or stop payments. Employees accepting the buyout would waive legal claims.

Staffers were told they had until Thursday night to accept, but they wouldn’t see the terms until after agreeing to resign.

A spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management, which sent the buyout memo, denied these claims, pointing to the memo that states:

“Those assurances are binding on the government. Were the government to backtrack on its commitments, an employee would be entitled to request a rescission of his or her resignation.”

However, the memo also states, “This agreement cannot be rescinded, except in the sole discretion of the [agency head], which shall not be subject to review at the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) or any other forum, and waives all rights to challenge the resignation before the MSPB or any other forum.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, officials also said the offer is a one-time deal and that future employee reductions are possible.

The meeting left some staffers concerned. One employee asked what would happen if the Education Department shuts down, something Trump promised on the campaign trail.

“Morale is pretty bad. One of the managers I work with just said he hasn’t seen any emails in the last four hours since the meeting ended because everybody just kind of had the life sucked out of them,” one official told NBC News.

Federal labor unions and Democratic attorneys general have warned workers that they may not receive promised benefits. They call the offers a pressure tactic to push workers to quit.