reduction-in-force

1. October 19, 2026News2 receipts4 min

   OPM's final rule lets agencies provide paid administrative leave during RIF notice periods and deferred-resignation transitions, and names accepted benefits a valid reason to decline a resignation withdrawal

   The Office of Personnel Management's final rule, published October 19, lets an agency provide administrative leave during a reduction-in-force notice period and to employees who sign a written agreement to voluntarily separate on a specified future date. It also adds an employee's acceptance of deferred-resignation benefits to the nonexclusive list of valid reasons an agency may decline a resignation withdrawal. OPM says it received 30 comments. The rule takes effect November 18, 2026.

   Also filed underfederal-employeesadministrative-leaveopmdeferred-resignationfederal-register

2. September 19, 2026News5 receipts3 min

   A drafting error in August's layoff rule deleted the two paragraphs that say when a federal worker counts as 'displaced'. For 13 days the definition that governs their priority for other jobs had no criteria under it. OPM restored the text on September 15.

   OPM's reduction-in-force rule, effective September 2, carried an amendatory instruction that told the code to replace all of paragraph (1) of the definition of 'displaced' but supplied only its opening line. The effect was to delete the two subparagraphs that say who qualifies: an employee who got a RIF separation notice, or one facing removal for refusing a directed move out of their commuting area. That definition governs who gets priority consideration for other federal jobs under the career transition program. A correcting amendment published September 15 restored the text, effective immediately, and says it makes no substantive change. It does not say how the error was found, whether any case was decided under the truncated definition during the 13 days, or what happens if one was. Two other OPM rules landed the same week: shared hiring certificates, effective October 15 with comments to November 16, and a proposal on excepted-service employment, comments to November 17.

   Also filed underopmfederal-workforcerulemakingfederal-register

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