8News community reaction divided after judge extends deadline for federal buyouts

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- On Monday, Jan. 28, federal employees received a letter from the Trump administration requesting them to enroll in the Deferred Resignation program by Feb. 6, 2025.

In the letter, the Trump administration gave employees the option to continue to receive compensation and benefits up until Sept. 30, 2025, or stay at work and potentially face termination. So far, more than 40,000 people have signed the letter.

The initial deadline to sign was Thursday, Feb. 6. However, hours before the deadline, U.S. District Judge George O'Toole paused its implementation until he could hear arguments from both sides in a hearing.

The hearing is scheduled to take place on Monday afternoon, Feb. 10, and O'Tool has asked the administration to extend the deadline until the hearing date.

"The buyout program" as it is commonly referred to could hit Virginia especially hard, as it is home to 144,483 federal workers -- the second highest in the U.S.

8News recently asked the community to share their thoughts on the federal buyouts and if they know anyone who has been affected by this in a Facebook post yesterday.

Responses have varied with some claiming the government can't afford to fund the money needed to pay those who accept the offer. Others have voiced support for the buyouts, saying there are too many unnecessary jobs and the government needs to drain the swamp.

The Virginia Employment Commission has released a statement that includes resources for Virginians amidst the buyouts.

The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) is committed and fully equipped to assist all individuals who may be impacted by employment transitions. Unemployment insurance benefits provide temporary financial assistance to workers unemployed through no fault of their own and who meet Virginia’s eligibility requirements.  

We do not have specific details of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) deferred resignation program and cannot make broad determinations about unemployment insurance eligibility. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis, as each claimant's set of circumstances are unique.  

We encourage anyone who may be impacted to review the benefits eligibility requirements on our website: www.vec.virginia.gov/benefits-eligibility. If they believe they may qualify, they can apply for benefits easily online using ID.me, an identity verification tool, through our Customer Self-Service or they may call our Customer Contact Center at 1-866-832-2363 for assistance. 

Additional resources, including short videos explaining eligibility requirements and the application process, can be found in our video library. More information about VEC services and unemployment benefits is available at www.virginia.gov.  The Virginia Employment Commission

This is a developing story, stay with 8News for updates.