A recent buyout offer extended to federal employees by the Trump administration has sparked controversy and warnings from a coalition of attorneys general. The offer, part of a broader push to bring federal workers back to physical offices, has been met with skepticism and concerns about its legitimacy.

The attorneys general have cautioned federal employees to approach the buyout with extreme caution, suggesting that the promised benefits may not be guaranteed. Unions representing federal workers, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), have echoed these warnings, advising their members against accepting the offer.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the buyout, calling it a "pointed attack" aimed at dismantling the federal workforce and disrupting essential government services. Other attorneys general from various states have joined in expressing their concerns.

The buyout offer comes in the wake of a mandate from the Trump administration requiring all federal employees to return to in-person work five days a week. The administration has cited the waning impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the low percentage of federal employees currently working full-time in the office as justification for this mandate.

Both the AFGE and NFFE have raised concerns about the lack of legal and policy backing for the buyout program, as well as the absence of Congressional funding. NFFE National President Randy Erwin characterized the offer as a "shady tactic" and a "phony ploy" designed to pressure federal employees into resigning. He urged federal workers to reject the buyout offer and remain in their positions.