(The Hill) -- The Education Department sent retired an email to staffers connected Friday saying if they discontinue by Monday astatine midnight, they volition person a $25,000 currency payout.
A section authoritative confirmed the email, which warned of important layoffs successful the adjacent future, to The Hill.
The email, archetypal reported by Politico, was sent by Jacqueline Clay, a main quality superior officer, giving employees until 11:59 p.m. connected Monday to marque a decision.
“This is simply a 1 clip connection successful beforehand of a precise important Reduction successful Force for the US Department of Education,” Clay said.
The section did not reply erstwhile asked however galore staffers person accepted the connection truthful far.
Some employees are ineligible for the payout specified arsenic those who person not yet been employed astatine the section for 3 years, those who person precocious received a bonus oregon different grant oregon those who got a pupil indebtedness repayment payment successful the past 3 years.
Clay said the payout would beryllium "the equivalent of severance wage oregon $25,000, whichever is less."
The connection comes aft the section has already enactment dozens of employees connected administrative permission arsenic the Trump medication eyes moves to unopen it down completely.
While implicit elimination of the Education Department would instrumentality an enactment of Congress, it seems the bureau volition beryllium slashed successful different ways, arsenic astir 1 cardinal dollars successful contracts person been canceled.
The email besides comes the aforesaid time Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s prime for Education secretary, is acceptable to beryllium confirmed by the Senate.
The erstwhile World Wrestling Entertainment caput laid retired successful her confirmation proceeding that she would similar to spot definite programs from the Department of Education determination to different national agencies.
“President Trump believes that the bureaucracy successful Washington should beryllium abolished truthful that we tin instrumentality acquisition to the states, wherever it belongs,” McMahon wrote to Democratic senators. “I wholeheartedly enactment and hold with this mission.”