The Trump administration has officially ended a controversial programme introduced by Elon Musk that required federal employees to submit weekly summaries of five key achievements.
Launched in February 2025 during Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the “five things” email aimed to increase accountability and productivity but faced resistance due to its sudden rollout, unclear instructions, and extra administrative burden.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), responsible for enforcing the initiative, issued a memo formally rescinding the directive.
OPM Director Scott Kupor stated that managers should oversee their teams using existing communication tools and confirmed the agency would no longer manage or use the weekly reports internally. Many departments had already stopped complying, making the memo’s issuance an official end to one of Musk’s most unpopular reforms.
Musk modelled the initiative on Silicon Valley efficiency practices from Tesla and SpaceX, but employees and agency leaders criticised its vague requirements and poor fit for collaborative or policy roles.
Its abrupt imposition, via a weekend email without consultation, caused confusion over whether responses were mandatory. Musk’s claim that ignoring the email would imply resignation heightened concerns before OPM clarified the policy.
The discontinuation also reflects tensions between Musk and President Trump. Despite Musk’s $250 million support for Trump’s 2024 campaign and initial White House backing, he publicly condemned Trump’s tax and spending legislation as “an abomination,” souring their relationship.
Trump subsequently withdrew support for Musk allies and threatened to cancel contracts with Musk-associated companies.
Since leaving the administration in May 2025 to focus on business ventures, Musk’s efforts to cut the federal workforce and budget have left a lasting mark. By mid-2025, approximately 154,000 federal workers had accepted early retirement incentives amid significant downsizing.