A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Office of Personnel Management's deadline for federal employees to accept the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" offer. U.S. District George O'Toole prevented the agency from implementing the program's deadline during a brief hearing held hours before federal workers were required to notify OPM of whether they would accept or reject the offer to step away from their positions.

Federal employees have through Thursday to decide whether to take what the Trump administration calls its “buyout” or “deferred resignation” offer.

A federal judge on Thursday pushed back to Monday a deadline for U.S. government employees to opt into the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" program offering workers nearly eight months of pay and benefits to leave their jobs.