Fictional Email Incident Causes Distress Among US Federal Workforce

Fictional Email Request

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, a fictional email from 'HR hr@opm.gov' was sent to all US federal employees. The email, titled 'What did you do last week?', requested a reply with approximately five bullet points detailing accomplishments from the previous week, to be sent by Monday at 11:59 p.m. EST. It specified not to include classified information, links, or attachments.

Impact on IRS Employees

Kathleen Walters, the fictional Chief Privacy Officer at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), became aware of the email. She oversees 650 staff members responsible for preventing the 100,000 IRS employees from unauthorized access or disclosure of 266 million tax returns. Walters recognized the significant risk this email posed, as many IRS employees could face legal repercussions, including jail time, for disclosing specific work details, even acknowledging if someone filed a tax return.

Privacy Concerns and Confusion

Walters found the email request problematic due to the sensitive nature of IRS work. She noted that some employees' replies were bouncing back with 'mailbox is full' messages, adding to the confusion. The incident highlighted the potential for widespread disclosure of confidential information if employees felt compelled to provide detailed responses to avoid job loss.