Okay Feds...time to educate yourself about Reduction in Force (RIF). I know it's a stressful day & you may not want to read this right now so pin it. You'll want it soon.
A majority of you are going to ride this wave to the possibility of involuntary separation, especially if you are a mid-to late careerist or on the bubble. Many are just shy of qualifying for voluntary retirement by either age or years or don't meet the eligibility criteria for a VERA. There are a lot of you in this situation; you are not alone.
There are protections in RIF you don't get when you resign. Priority Placement means that after separation you may be referred for any open position / grade under which you qualify (as determined in the doc below) and that referral list MUST be cleared before anyone else has a shot at that job. During the RIFs in the 90s under Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) civilians were subject to RIF and reassignment. The only hiring we did for years after was off those lists.
As of right now, OPM's webpage about RIF and the attachment that outlines the RIF process in detail below (current from March 2017) appears to be accurate. But because OPM messaging is "fluid" right now, I trust the document at this link (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/reductions-in-force/workforce_reshaping.pdf) more than the URL.
Phrases you need to know are:
▶️ Standing
▶️ Retention Register
▶️ Competitive Area and Competitive Level
▶️ Tenure Group (on your SF50)
▶️ Service Credit (which is based on the Service Computation Date (SCD) on your SF50, make sure it is correct ... see comments for my post about reading your SF50)
▶️ Placement Offers
▶️ Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency CTAP (ICTAP)
▶️ Reemployment Priority List
▶️ Retraining Options Under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (a law)
In summary, regulatory requirements governing RIF are contained in 5 CFR Part 351. Federal agencies must follow these procedures when conducting a RIF. There are four factors used to determine releasing employees:
▶️ Tenure of employment (e.g., type of appointment as shown on your current SF50);
▶️ Veterans' preference (e.g., 30% or higher, vet, or non-vet as shown on your SF50);
▶️ Length of service (as based on your Service Computation Date (SCD) on your SF50); and
▶️ Performance ratings.
An agency is required to use the RIF procedures when an employee is faced with separation or downgrading for a reason such as reorganization and/ or shortage of funds. A furlough of greater than30 calendar days, or greater than 22 discontinuous work days, is also considered a RIF action. (A furlough of 30 or fewer calendar days, or 22 or fewer discontinuous work days, is an adverse action.)
Now you know why you need to download your ENTIRE eOPF.
Do it now, if you haven't already.
If you find any of your information is incorrect like your SCD, tenure, or veterans' preference, contact HR IMMEDIATELY to have it corrected because your file is what is used to run the RIF, not anything you provide later.
I know this is overwhelming.
We've been here before.
You are resilient.
I support & stand by you. 💙
Original LinkedIn post is found here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shauna-weatherly_opm-rif-handbook-2017-activity-7293272981034713089-I2cm?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAA6vqSABLArM73HgjpmDnYG-5LRTJXgTTYQ
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