A US judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to offer buyouts to federal workers at least until Monday. This ruling is a win for labor unions that had filed lawsuits to stop the buyout. Despite the block, more than 60,000 federal employees had already agreed to the offer, a source told Reuters.

The decision by US District Judge George O’Toole in Boston pushes back a deadline set by the Trump administration, which was pressuring federal workers to leave their jobs as part of a broad effort to reshape the federal government. The judge will hold another hearing on Monday to decide whether to extend the block or stop the buyout program permanently. Meanwhile, federal employees can still submit their plans to leave until 11:59 pm ET on Monday.

The buyout programme is part of Trump’s plan to shrink the size of the federal government, which he believes has been a barrier to his agenda. As part of this plan, the administration is also significantly reducing the size of th US Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides humanitarian aid globally. The White House plans to keep fewer than 300 staff members from USAID’s workforce of over 10,000.

Trump’s buyout plan has sparked protests in Washington, with labor unions and Democrats accusing the president of breaking several laws. Federal workers were instructed to type “RESIGN” in the subject line of an email from their government accounts if they wanted to participate in the buyout. The offer promises to pay employees’ salaries and benefits until October without requiring them to work. However, there are concerns about the uncertainty of funding beyond March 14 when current spending laws expire. The Education Department even warned employees that paychecks could stop at any time.

Labor unions and Democrats have criticised the plan as unreliable. Some federal employees expressed relief at the court’s ruling, seeing it as a potential step toward stopping the buyout program entirely.

60,000 employees accept buyout

Around 60,000 employees are expected to accept the buyout, though it’s unclear which agencies they are leaving. In a typical year, roughly 6% of federal workers retire or resign, according to the Partnership for Public Service.

The administration has warned workers that they could lose their jobs if they do not accept the buyout. Federal employees have been told to expect significant cuts.

The White House is continuing to target additional groups of workers for potential layoffs. A memo sent to agency heads on Thursday requires them to submit a list by March 7 of all employees who received less than a “fully successful” performance rating in the last three years. The memo also urges agencies to remove any barriers to swiftly terminate underperforming employees.

The administration is also focusing on employees hired in the past two years, who are not fully protected under civil-service laws and could be easier to fire. Additionally, the White House has instructed agencies to identify workers appointed by former President Joe Biden who remain in civil-service positions and those who have received poor performance evaluations.

(With Reuters Inputs)