Reduction in Force
Key claim: OPM is revising federal reduction-in-force rules to prioritize performance over tenure when deciding who is retained, and is updating related reemployment and career-transition programs.
Abstract
(Rule · Personnel Management Office) The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is revising its reduction in force (RIF) regulations to make the RIF regulations more streamlined, efficient, and merit-based by prioritizing performance over tenure and length of service when determining which employees will be retained in a RIF and by modifying the types of employees who are excluded from RIF competition. OPM is also revising its regulations regarding the reemployment priority list (RPL), career transition assistance program (CTAP), the interagency career transition assistance program (ICTAP), and transfers of function.
Why this matters
RIF retention factors historically leaned heavily on tenure and veterans’ preference, giving long-serving federal employees strong protection during downsizing. Reordering those factors to prioritize performance shifts who bears the risk of workforce reductions and elevates the importance of the performance appraisal system as a de facto separation tool. Updates to RPL, CTAP, and ICTAP also change how displaced federal workers are matched to new positions across agencies.