(L-R) Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Linda McMahon, former administrator of the US Small Business Administration and US education secretary nominee for US President Donald Trump, Doug Burgum, US secretary of the interior, US President Donald Trump, and Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, attend a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 26 February 2025. Image: AL DRAGO/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
By: FEDweek StaffNew instructions to agencies on carrying out President Trump’s executive order calling on them to prepare reorganization plans leading the “wide-scale” reductions in force tells them to produce initial versions of those plans by March 13 and anticipates that the RIFs would begin in the May-June timeframe.
A joint OMB-OPM memo on chcoc.gov says that the reorganization plans should seek “a significant reduction in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions by eliminating positions that are not required.” Other stated goals for reducing what it called a “bloated, corrupt federal bureaucracy” include service improvements, increased productivity, dollar savings and reductions in the federal real estate footprint.
Like the order that preceded it, the memo makes no projections of the scale of layoffs, but the number could add substantially to the 75,000 who accepted the “deferred resignation” offer and the tens of thousands of probationary employees already laid off.
Agencies “should focus on the maximum elimination of functions that are not statutorily mandated” and “identify competitive areas that include positions not typically designated as essential during a lapse in appropriations,” as called for in the executive order, which is the subject of a lawsuit asserting that those standards are vague and not in compliance with laws and rules governing RIFs.
“Agencies should also seek to consolidate areas of the agency organization chart that are duplicative; consolidate management layers where unnecessary layers exist; seek reductions in components and positions that are non-critical; implement technological solutions that automate routine tasks while enabling staff to focus on higher-value activities; close and/or consolidate regional field offices to the extent consistent with efficient service delivery; and maximally reduce the use of outside consultants and contractors,” it says.
Excluded, however, are “positions that are necessary to meet law enforcement, border security, national security, immigration enforcement, or public safety responsibilities.” While not specifically defined, that could wall off large portions of the workforce in agencies such as DoD, DHS and the intelligence community.
Also excluded are the smaller numbers of federal uniformed personnel in entities such as the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, political appointees and the Executive Office of the President (as well as the Postal Service).
For positions and functions not excepted, agencies are to identify those to be targeted by March 13 and are to submit to OPM and OMB by April 14 specific plans for structuring competitive areas, reorganizing components, and limiting hiring moving forward to filling only one position for every four vacated by normal turnover. Until then, the general hiring freeze is to remain in place.
During that period, agencies also are to explore the use of early retirement and buyout offers, develop transition materials and draft RIF notices. While the standard advance RIF notice period is 60 days that may be shortened to 30 days with OPM approval, the memo notes, encouraging them to seek such approval.
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See also,
More Than a Third of Those Eligible under GPO-WEP Repeal Getting Back Payments, Says SSA
Primer: Early out, buyout, reduction in force (RIF)
Deferred and Postponed Annuities Under CSRS and FERS
Taking an Offer to Leave? Things to Do Now, and to Consider
Get Your Official Personnel Folder in Order to Max Out Benefits
