Elon Musk issues stark warning to US government workers and claims they'll be put on leave if they fail to return to office

President Donald Trump has praised Elon Musk's new position as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, but after the POTUS said he wants to see the billionaire be 'more aggressive', Musk has wasted no time in making it happen.

Having already taken a chainsaw to the likes of the National Space Council and USAID, Musk is looking at the bigger picture and has targeted the entire government workforce (currently sitting at over two million staff).

He's already raised eyebrows by giving staff just 48 hours to respond to an email asking what they did last week, saying that those who don't respond will be considered as voluntarily resigning.

Trump and his 'First Buddy' seem to be working in tandem, and back in January, the President said that federal employees must return to in-office routines "or be terminated."

Trump demanded that the government return to pre-pandemic schedules, and posting on X, Musk has confirmed the mandate is being rolled out.

The world's richest man wrote: "Those who ignored President Trump’s executive order to return to work have now received over a month’s warning.

“Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave."

His response came after Rep. Ralph Norman said that no government agency is occupying even half of its workspaces.

Trump previously said that he thinks few will return to the office, meaning the government will "get smaller and more efficient."

Employees were reportedly offered buyout plans if they didn't want to return to their offices, while it’s now over to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to enact these changes. Although the Associated Press hasn't got an exact figure, hundreds of thousands of government workers have reportedly been affected - with many coming from outside of Washington. At least 75,000 have reportedly taken the 'deferred resignation' option and accepted payments up until September 30.

According to OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinove, the deferred resignation program "provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures."

One of the hundreds of executive orders that Trump signed on his first day in office was the "Return to In-Person Work" order, saying that department heads must take the "necessary steps to terminate remote work."

Just hours after Trump called for Musk to take a more aggressive stance, the DOGE head responded by saying: "Will do, Mr. President!"

These Musk mandates have caused a stir, with one critic writing: "'Land of the Free' or North Korea? The U.S. government is now forcing federal employees back to the office under threat of termination—ignoring both economic realities and modern work efficiency."

Another complained: "Why do you care about where they work from as opposed to the job results they produce ? Is Ai going to show up to the office ? Of course not. What’s important is that the job gets done. Revenge of the nerds gone too far."

Others thanked Musk for powering forward as one supporter added: "Accountability is finally here. 🚨 Federal employees had plenty of warning, now it’s time to show up or step aside. Taxpayers shouldn’t be funding empty offices and no-show jobs. Work in office, or find a new job. Simple as that. 🔥🇺🇸."

Someone else concluded: "Have them come to the office to pick up their paychecks. Simple move to get to see who is actually working."