US health agency reverses stance, says employees must respond to Trump administration’s emails demanding work summaries. In a surprise move, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told its employees on Monday that they were required to respond to an email from the Trump administration, despite earlier warnings that they would not be asked to do so. The email, sent by billionaire Elon Musk’s team, asks employees to summarize their work over the past week in five bullet points.
The HHS employees had previously been informed that they did not have to respond to the emails and that there would be no impact on their employment if they chose not to. However, the agency has now changed its stance, stating that employees must comply with the administration’s request. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents HHS workers, has told members that they must respond to the agency’s choice to proceed with the initiative.
Employees were given guidance on how to reply and respond without revealing sensitive information, including grants, grantees, contracts, or contractors. However, some employees have expressed concerns about the potential impact of this exercise on their work and job security. Despite the initial warning, HHS employees are now required to respond to the email by midnight without disclosing sensitive information.
The move has been met with skepticism from some quarters, with one FDA source stating that they will spend the whole day writing bullet points while also ensuring that they do not reveal sensitive information. The HHS agency has declined to comment on the matter, leaving employees to navigate this new requirement.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-health-agency-now-says-employees-must-respond-doge-email-2025-03-03