Federal workers in Massachusetts are expressing uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s offer of buyouts as part of his administration’s plan to shrink the size of the federal work force.

The offer could impact 25,000 federal employees in Massachusetts who work at a wide range of agencies including the Veteran’s Administration, NOAA, the National Park Service, the Department of Transportation, and the Internal Revenue Service.

Sal Insogna is President of the National Council of Field Labor locals and works for OSHA in Braintree.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions about that offer and whether it’s actually fully legal,” Insogna said.

His union represents 500 federal employees from several federal agencies in the Boston area that include OSHA, The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Office of Worker’s Compensation Program, and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs or FCCP.

In addition to the question of legality, Insogna said a lot of details are missing.

“There were questions about, like, how it would apply to people’s pay and if it included all grades or not,“ he said. “The union at this point, absent some additional information, is not encouraging people to go for [the buyouts] now.”

On Tuesday, the White House and the Office of Personnel Management issued a memo to federal workers entitled “Fork in the Road.” It contained phrases such as “deferred resignation” and said federal agency workers could resign and be paid through the end of September.

Workers taking the buyout would be expected to continue working through that date, the memo said, stipulating that the last date to accept the offer is February 6.

The Associated Press reported that Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted on X, “This email is being sent to more than TWO MILLION federal employees.” An account belonging to Musk’s PAC, claims that if at least 10% of the federal work force did quit, it would save the government $100 billion dollars.

Mike Gayzagian, a Transportation Security Administration worker and president of the local TSA Officers’ Union, said some federal workers have already been told they are not eligible for the buyout plan. He said the TSA and Department of Homeland Security have both informed their workforces that the buyout offer doesn’t apply to positions of national security.

Whether that also includes public safety positions is unclear said Jason Basil, who is president of AFGE Council of Prison Locals. He represents some 400 correctional workers at Federal Medical Center Devens, the only federal prison in Massachusetts.

“We are still working through the details that have been released and awaiting further guidance from AFGE National Headquarters. We do not even have clarification if our agency would even apply with our mission of public safety,” Basil told GBH News.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association commented on the proposed buyout plan after the crash between an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army helicopter Wednesday evening that killed 67 people.

“NATCA has not received a briefing on how or whether the deferred resignation program will be implemented in the FAA,” Daniels said in a statement.

“It is not yet clear how this program will affect aviation safety workers represented by our Union. However, we are concerned about the potential effect to public safety and the efficiency and capacity of the air traffic control system if FAA were to lose experienced aviation safety personnel during a universally recognized air traffic controller staffing shortage.”

Basil said reducing the size of government can have serious consequences.

“The federal workforce plays an essential role in areas like public health, safety, infrastructure, and education. Cutting too many positions could lead to inefficiencies, overworked employees, and disruptions to services that Americans rely on every day,” Basil said.

“Plus, it’s not just about numbers — it’s about ensuring that qualified individuals are in place to help keep the country running smoothly.”