- Federal employees told BI that some agencies have quietly phased out the "5 things" emails.
- The weekly emails were a DOGE staple, and they're fading as DOGE itself becomes less public.
- It's not clear why some agencies have kept the emails and others have done away with them.
It's spring cleaning time at some federal agencies' email inboxes.
Federal employees told Business Insider that some agencies have recently started to phase out DOGE's "5 things" emails, which had asked employees to list their weekly accomplishments.
An email sent to employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early May said it would "pause" the requirement that employees send the emails. The CDC would continue with other forms of performance management, like one-on-one meetings, said the email, a copy of which was reviewed by BI.
"Not having to write those emails saves me a little time each week which turns into a little more work done each week," one CDC employee told BI.
A similar structure is now in place at the Internal Revenue Service, three employees told BI. Though they're no longer required to hit send on their regular updates, supervisors are still required to "observe the employee's performance on a regular basis throughout the appraisal period," according to guidance the agency posted to its intranet in mid-May.
One IRS employee called the change "minor relief" amid broader chaos. Another said that they'd stopped writing the emails before official word came down.
"I had personally stopped a week or two before that with no adverse effects," they said.
In a February post on X teasing the emails, Elon Musk said that "failure to respond will be taken as a resignation."
The Department of Defense recently told its civilian workforce to stop sending the emails, too — only to make a different request. In an email reviewed by BI, the department told employees that while the five bullets are out, it needs "one last input from you" to help root out waste.
Workers have been asked to submit "a one sentence description of what is wrong and what you recommend doing about it" through a questionnaire, per the email.
The "5 things" emails were a one-time hallmark of the White House DOGE Office and a familiar Musk management tool. Beginning in late February, workers were asked to compile their wins as part of a broader effort to track productivity across the federal government.
Now, federal agencies seem to be taking a patchwork approach to the emails.
Employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Social Security Administration, and Office of Personnel Management told BI that they are still required to send bullet points.
Edwin Osario, president of a New York SSA employee union chapter, said he's asked the agency about the emails repeatedly, but hasn't gotten a response.
"I've actually addressed this in a couple of grievances and conducted a survey among my bargaining unit," he told BI. "Employees feel undervalued and under-appreciated, and like they are not trusted at all."
It's not clear why only some agencies have chosen to nix the emails, or how many still require the updates. A spokesperson for OPM said in a statement that "OPM employees are still encouraged to document their weekly accomplishments for agency leadership. This practice is vital to maintain accountability and transparency in employee contributions."
Representatives for the other agencies noted in this story, the White House, and DOGE did not respond to BI's request for comment.
While several workers previously told BI that they hoped Musk's step back would mean the end of the emails, it's unclear how, if at all, the billionaire's step-back plays into the change.
One employee at OPM doesn't have any problem with continuing to send out their bullet points.
"It's an easy and nice opportunity to show my work to leadership," they said.
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