Decision time is looming for an estimated two million federal employees who are eligible for the buyout plan proffered by President Trump.

Workers have until Thursday to decide whether or not to accept the buyout. The basic offer is that government workers will be paid until the end of September — and retain their benefits — so long as they declare their resignations by Feb. 6.

The proposal is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce and reform the government.

The most visible manifestation of this effort is the Department of Government Efficiency, spearheaded by Elon Musk.

Musk has previously said he believes it would be possible to scythe $2 trillion from the federal budget. More recently, he has eased back from that figure while still suggesting $1 trillion could be cut.

Trump is also demanding that more federal workers cease working from home. This, too, is intended to reduce the size of the public workforce.

On Wednesday, Trump said of federal workers: “We’re requiring them to show up to work or be terminated…We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work and therefore our government will get smaller and more efficient.”

Here’s what else to know.

Most, but not all, federal workers are eligible

The offer came from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in a Tuesday email. A lot of employees and their managers were initially confused.

The OPM’s website now offers answers to a number of frequently asked questions.

The administration is referring to the buyout as “deferred resignation.”

The OPM notes that, as a general rule, all full-time federal employees are eligible. However, it does outline some exceptions: Military personnel, U.S. Postal Service employees, “those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security” and “those in other positions specifically excluded by your........

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