[As President-elect Donald Trump’s administration prepares to take over Washington, some federal employees are quietly changing the language of job descriptions and performance reviews to protect roles and critical government functions in the face of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Tech billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump tapped to lead the outside initiative, plan to recommend slashing the federal workforce, cutting the government’s annual budget by at least $1 trillion, and curbing regulations.
Some workers are removing mentions of “policy” decision-making and terms related to diversity programs from written job descriptions, duties, and performance reviews to protect the roles from possible cuts. “People are definitely reimagining how to communicate what they’ve done and do to try and escape scrutiny,” one federal employee said. Even among those who support efforts to streamline the government, some fear that DOGE will suggest cuts using a “hatchet not a scalpel” and utilize artificial intelligence to target buzzwords in job descriptions without carefully studying the roles.
DOGE does not have direct power to make spending cuts, regulatory changes, or other moves, but Musk’s comments have been shown to carry weight with lawmakers. Meanwhile, federal employees are taking it upon themselves to safeguard positions and policies. Some are trying to protect roles critical to an agency’s function, while others are concerned about losing their jobs and livelihoods. One senior staffer advised their agency to edit “any job description that mentioned policy,” while others are focused on editing out anything related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, which have become a right-wing target.
As President-elect Trump has derided civil servants, the move is being seen as a way to rein in the federal workforce. The Department of Government Efficiency is an outside initiative led by Musk and Ramaswamy, and while it does not have direct power to make changes, its recommendations can still carry significant weight. Representatives for DOGE, Musk, and Ramaswamy did not respond to CNN requests for comment.
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