Education Staffers Warned: Trump Buyout Deal Comes with a ‘Major Catch’

Employees at the U.S. Department of Education were blindsided this week by a troubling caveat in the Trump administration’s controversial buyout offer. Just one day before the deadline to accept, workers were informed that the administration could revoke the deal at any time—potentially leaving them without the promised months of pay.

In a virtual meeting held Wednesday, two senior department officials delivered the unsettling news: the buyout agreements, which promise federal workers continued pay until September 30 if they voluntarily resign, could be rescinded at the discretion of the Education Secretary.

NBC News, citing three department sources, reported that this revelation sent shockwaves through the workforce. If the agreements are revoked after signing, employees would have already waived their right to legal recourse.

“It felt like a pressure sales pitch,” said one anonymous official. “Like a ‘limited-time offer’ you’d hear in a used car commercial.”

Government workers across multiple agencies must decide by Thursday night whether to accept the package—despite mounting concerns about its reliability.

A Department of Education spokesperson, along with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, attempted to downplay fears, citing a memo claiming that all commitments in the buyout agreements are legally binding. However, buried in the same document is a clause granting agency heads “sole discretion” to revoke the agreements. The memo further states that employees must waive “all rights” to challenge any changes.

This uncertainty has fueled growing fears among workers, with many likening the deal to a bait-and-switch.

“This has crushed morale,” said another department insider. “One of my managers noted that he hadn’t seen a single email in four hours since the meeting—people were just too deflated to even communicate.”

The buyout offer is unfolding against a backdrop of wider upheaval. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to dismantle the Department of Education, a long-standing goal of many conservative and evangelical activists. His administration has already begun exploring pathways to achieve that objective.

Trump’s nominee for Education Secretary, Linda McMahon—the former WWE CEO and head of the Small Business Administration during his first term—would have full discretion over the buyout program if confirmed by the Senate.

A coalition of twelve state attorneys general issued a stark warning Tuesday, urging federal employees to scrutinize the deal carefully.

“Read the fine print before signing,” cautioned Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in a public statement. “Certain benefits may not be guaranteed.”

Despite the warnings, at least 40,000 federal employees have reportedly accepted the buyout, according to a White House source cited by Reuters. That figure represents roughly two percent of the 2.3 million civilian federal workforce.

Meanwhile, the administration is pushing forward with aggressive plans to shrink the federal workforce. Sources told CNN that mass layoffs are being plotted for those who do not voluntarily resign. The effort has been spearheaded by a task force dubbed DOGE, led by billionaire Elon Musk, which has stirred controversy by attempting to access government department systems—allegedly with a team that includes non-government personnel and even teenagers.

Federal employee unions have strongly advised their members against signing the agreement, and a legal battle over the buyout terms is set to be heard in court Thursday afternoon.

With time running out, Education Department employees now face an agonizing decision: accept a buyout that could be revoked, or risk being caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s mass-firing agenda.