Some federal judiciary employees, including judges, also received the Saturday email from OPM, even though the court system is not part of the executive branch, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts confirmed.
The judiciary advised employees that no action should be taken in response to the message, according to an email reviewed by Reuters.
In some cases, employees were left unsure how to respond even if they chose to do so.
Some lawyers, for instance, expressed concern that their work is confidential.
Workers at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also received the email, according to people with knowledge of the matter, even though they were all ordered to cease working since early this month, leaving them with little to do.