Member-only story
Will Everything Be OK?
No one can promise, but we can prepare. Put your plan into action.
A year ago, a week after Trump’s second inauguration, the U.S. federal workforce — about 2 million people — received an opportunity to resign. The so-called “Fork in the Road” offer was: return to work in the office in-person, five days a week, as in pre-covid times, or resign with a promise of several months of full pay and benefits. Those who didn’t wish to work for Trump supposedly could leave and take the payout.
Relatively few workers accepted this offer, in part because Trump is known to lie and the offer’s validity and enforceability was not trusted.
Three days after the offer was made, a lawyer for the U.S. National Labor Relations Board sent an internal memo that was shared publicly. Her wording spoke to me at the time.
Jessica Rutter, who was exceedingly briefly serving as NLRB acting general counsel, wrote on January 31, 2025:
I know that the past few days and nights have been extremely scary and distressing for some of us. I am writing to share the information that I have and to share some best practices that have been previously shared with me regarding how to survive what’s happening.
