While you can still request your eOPF after separation, we are being told that depleted HR offices are overwhelmed with requests. Image: ARMMY PICCA/Shutterstock.com
By: Nancy SegalIt is a challenging period for federal employees. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has projected that the federal workforce will have 350,000 fewer employees by the end of 2025. Let that one sink in.
Additional cuts are expected for 2026. So it behooves every federal employee to prepare for further potential cuts, reductions-in-force (RIF) being a preferred tool of the administration as it dramatically reshapes the federal workforce.
Here are seven things to know about:
1. Get a copy of your eOPF and check it carefully to ensure it is complete and accurate.
Alert your HR office in writing of any problems. While you can still request your eOPF after separation, several media outlets are reporting that HR offices are overwhelmed with requests and HR staffs are depleted. The sooner you start, the better. And it is best practice to keep a hard copy of every SF-50 whether or not you think you might leave the government.
2. If you are RIF’d and in the competitive service, you are entitled to advanced notice and appeal rights.
Excepted service rights are more complicated and depend on individual situations and agencies. Again, if you plan to appeal, recognize that the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and similar agencies are also overwhelmed and resolution is unlikely to be quick.
These independent agencies are being neutralized in some ways by the White House, with the administration firing the chair of the MSPB (no longer with a quorum) and the FLRA chair – and spoiling for a legal fight on the extent of executive control. In both cases the Supreme Court has allowed the firings to stand as the appeal process continues.
3. You should not wait to start considering your options.
The current job market is challenging and most recruiters are suggesting job searches will take 6-9 months—or more. Of course, you could be the exception but why take the chance?
4. What about becoming a contractor?
Federal contractors have been a traditional place for separating federal employees to land. However, many federal contractors are also laying off staff,. especially in the National Capitol Region, so targeting federal contractors only may not be the answer for everyone.
5. What about getting another federal job?
Competitive service employees who are RIF’d have CTAP (Career Transition Assistance Program) and ICTAP (Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program) rights. Basically employees who have been RIF’d must receive priority consideration in their own agency (CTAP) or in another federal agency (ICTAP) for positions at their grade or below in the same commuting area if they are rated well qualified or higher. CTAP and ICTAP candidates must be offered a position before someone from outside the advertising agency is selected. RIF’d employees interested in exercising their CTAP / ICTAP rights must follow the instructions on the vacancy announcement.
6. Can I come back to the government if I retire?
The short answer is yes—in many cases. Employees in this category are called reemployment annuitants. The specific rules and impact on a person’s annuity depend on the applicant’s retirement system and the kind of reemployment.
7. Ethics requirements can be complicated depending upon your federal position and agency.
Employees should check with their Ethics Officer before reaching out to potential employers. https://www.fedweek.com/issue-briefs/oge-addresses-post-employment-restrictions-other-ethics-issues-for-deferred-resignation/
This is just a brief overview of things to be thinking about if you believe you might be RIF’d. Individual circumstances vary and it is those individual circumstances which affect eligibility and other details.
Nancy H. Segal is a federal job search expert. Following her own senior-level federal HR career, she founded Solutions for the Workplace LLC to provide a HR management perspective to astute applicants to U.S. government positions.
Federal Pay Raise in 2026 Unlikely; Trump Expected to Affirm Decision by End of Month
DoD Announces Civilian Volunteer Detail in Support of Immigration Enforcement
Urban Policing Order Calls for Hiring Federal LEOs, Deputized Guard Unit
Ruling on CFPB Job Cuts Could Affect Challenges to Other RIFs and Reorgs
Schnitzer: How to Challenge a Federal Reduction in Force (RIF) in 2025
See also
Attorney Schnitzer: How to Challenge a Federal Reduction in Force (RIF) in 2025
Alternative Federal Retirement Options; With Chart
Primer: Early out, buyout, reduction in force (RIF)
Retention Standing, ‘Bump and Retreat’ and More: Report Outlines RIF Process
FERS Retirement Guide 2025 – Your Roadmap to Maximizing Federal Retirement Benefits
