Around 75,000 United States federal employees have accepted the White House’s “deferred resignation” offer, which allows them to resign while being paid through September, according to an Office of Personnel Management spokesperson.
The deadline closed Wednesday after a federal judge lifted a temporary halt on the program.
The reported 75,000 federal employees who accepted the offer make up less than 5% of the federal workforce, falling short of the administration’s goal of 5% to 10%.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. allowed the resignation offer to proceed after previously halting it.
In his ruling, he stated that the unions suing to stop the offer lacked the legal standing to pursue the case.
The Office of Personnel Management welcomed O’Toole’s decision Wednesday, stating it was “pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program.”
“As of 7:00 PM tonight, the program is now closed,” OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinover said in a statement. “There is no longer any doubt: the Deferred Resignation Program was both legal and a valuable option for federal employees. This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.”
