Retention Standing: An employee’s relative standing on a retention register based on tenure, veterans’ preference, and length of service augmented by performance credit. Image: Andrii Yalanskyi/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffFollowing is a glossary of terms regarding reductions in force that are important for employees to understand if they are affected by a RIF.
Agency.
An Executive department, a Government corporation, and an independent establishment.
“Agency” includes all components of an organization in the local commuting area, including an agency’s Office of Inspector General.
The U.S. Postal Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, and other quasi-governmental organizations, as well as legislative and judicial branch agencies, are not considered “agencies” under the CTAP/ICTAP regulations.
Assignment Right.
The right of an employee to be assigned by bump or retreat in the second round of competition to a position in a different competitive level held by an employee with lower standing on a retention register.
Bump.
The assignment of an employee to a position held by another employee in a lower group, or in a lower subgroup within the same tenure group.
Change in Duty Station.
The movement of an employee’s office to a new geographic location with no other change.
The intra-agency geographic relocation of personnel documented by a “change in duty station” personnel action may or may not meet the definition of a transfer of function under the regulations.
Competing Employee.
An employee in tenure group I, II, or III in either the competitive or the excepted service.
Competitive Area.
The organizational and geographic boundaries in which employees compete in a RIF.
Agencies have the option of establishing a competitive area comprised only of pay band positions when the competitive area would otherwise include pay band positions and other positions not covered by a pay band.
Competitive Level.
A group of positions in the same grade and classification series that have similar duties and other requirements.
Competitive Service.
All civil service positions in the executive branch, except (1) positions which are specifically excepted from the competitive service by or under statute; (2) positions to which appointments are made by nomination for confirmation by the Senate, unless the Senate otherwise directs; and (3) positions in the Senior Executive Service Component.
The first major subdivision of an agency that is separately organized and clearly distinguished from other components in work function and operation.
For example, the Internal Revenue Service under the Department of the Treasury, the National Park Service under the Department of the Interior, and the Department of the Army under the Department of Defense.
Days.
Calendar days.
Displaced Employee.
A current career or career-conditional competitive service employee in tenure group I or II who holds a position at GS-15 or below (or equivalent), and has received: • A specific notice of separation by RIF; or • A written notice of proposed removal (including a final decision) by adverse action for declining a directed reassignment, transfer of function, or other similar reason, outside of the employee’s current local commuting area.
“Displaced employee” also means a current Senior Executive Service member serving in the executive branch on an excepted service appointment without time limit who is eligible for both noncompetitive appointment and special selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive service, and has received: • A specific notice of separation by RIF; or • A written notice of proposed removal (including a final decision) by adverse action for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside of the employee’s current local commuting area, or for another similar reason.
Eligible Employee.
A displaced employee, or a surplus employee who also meets the qualifying conditions for selection priority under CTAP or ICTAP.
Excepted Service.
Civil service positions that are not in the competitive service or the Senior Executive Service.
Furlough.
Under the RIF regulations, the placement of an employee in a temporary nonduty and nonpay status for more than 30 consecutive calendar days, or more than 22 workdays if done on a noncontinuous basis, but not more than 1 year when the action is based on one of the RIF reasons and is not in accordance with pre-established conditions of employment.
“Furlough” under the adverse action regulations means the placement of an employee in a temporary nonduty and nonpay status for 30 continuous days or less, or 22 discontinuous workdays or less.
Local Commuting Area.
The geographic area that usually constitutes one area for employment purposes, as determined by the agency.
It includes any population center (or two or more neighboring ones) and the surrounding localities in which people live and can reasonably be expected to travel back and forth daily to their usual employment.
Mass Transfer.
The movement of an employee and his or her position to a different agency when an organizational change (such as a transfer of function) takes place, and there is no change in the employee’s position, grade, or pay.
RIF Notice.
A written communication from an agency official to an individual employee stating that the employee will be reached for a RIF action.
Rating of Record.
See section 430.203 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
For an employee subject to chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code, or subject to part 430 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, “rating of record” means the performance rating— 1) prepared at the end of an appraisal period for performance of agency-assigned duties over the entire period and the subsequent issuance of a summary level (as authorized by section 430.208(d) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations), or 2) that results because of a within-grade increase decision (as authorized by section 531.404(a)(1) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations).
For an employee not subject to chapter 43 of title 5, United States Code, or to part 430 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, “rating of record” means the officially designated performance rating, as provided for in the agency’s appraisal system, that is considered to be an “equivalent rating of record” under section 430.201(c) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
Realignment.
The movement of an employee and his or her position when an organization change (such as reorganization or transfer of function) occurs, the employee stays in the same agency, and there is no change in the employee’s position, grade or pay.
Reorganization.
The planned elimination, addition, or redistribution of functions or duties in an organization.
Representative Rate.
(1) The fourth step of the grade for a position under the General Schedule, using the locality rate authorized by section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, and subpart F of part 531 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, for General Schedule positions; (2) the prevailing rate for a position under the Federal Wage System (FWS) or similar wage-determining procedure; (3) for positions in a pay band, the rate or rates the agency designates as representative of that pay band or competitive levels within the pay band, including any applicable locality payment authorized by section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, and subpart F of part 531 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, or equivalent payment under other legal authority; and (4) for other positions (e.g., positions in an unclassified pay system), the rate designated by the agency as representative of the position, including any applicable locality payment authorized by section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, and subpart F of part 531 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, or equivalent payment under other legal authority.
Retention Register.
A list of competing employees within a competitive level who are grouped by tenure, veterans’ preference, and length of service augmented by performance credit.
Retention Service Date.
A temporal designation which an agency uses to place an employee on a retention register and determine an employee’s assignment rights during a RIF.
Agencies calculate this based upon an employee’s length of creditable service (both civilian and military) and performance ratings.
Retention Standing.
An employee’s relative standing on a retention register based on tenure, veterans’ preference, and length of service augmented by performance credit.
Retreat.
The assignment of an employee to a position held by another employee with lower retention standing in the same subgroup in a different competitive level.
Round of Competition.
The different stages in which employees compete for retention.
In first-round competition, employees compete to stay in the competitive level.
In the second round of competition, employees compete for assignment to positions in different competitive levels.
Special Selection Priority.
The regulatory right of an eligible surplus or displaced individual to a position under CTAP or ICTAP.
An employee eligible for this selection priority must be selected over any other internal or external candidate for vacancies in the local commuting area if the individual applies for the vacancy, and the agency finds that the individual is well-qualified for the vacancy.
Subgroup Standing.
The employee’s relative standing on a retention register based on tenure group and veterans’ preference subgroup.
It does not take into account length of service and performance credit.
Surplus Employee.
See definition of “displaced employee.” “Surplus employee” does not include an employee displaced from an Administrative Law Judge or Senior-Level (SL) position because these positions are above GS-15.
Tenure.
The period of time an employee may reasonably expect to serve under a current appointment.
Transfer of Function.
(1) The transfer of the performance of a continuing function from one competitive area to one or more different competitive areas, except when the function involved is virtually identical to functions already being performed in the other competitive area(s); or (2) the movement of the competitive area in which the function is performed to another local commuting area.
Undue Interruption.
A degree of interruption that would prevent the completion of required work by the employee 90 days after the employee has been placed in a different position in first or second-round RIF competition.
The 90-day standard should be considered within the allowable limits of time and quality, taking into account the pressures of priorities, deadlines, and other demands.
However, a work program would generally not be unduly interrupted even if an employee needed more than 90 days after the RIF to perform the optimal quality or quantity of work.
The 90-day standard may be extended if placement is made in first or second-round RIF competition to a low-priority program, or to a vacant position.
Vacancy.
A competitive service position that the agency is filling for a total of 121 days or more, including all extensions.
“Days” in the definition of “vacancy” means the number of calendar days for which the position is established, not the number of actual days the incumbent will work.
This definition applies to CTAP/ICTAP regardless of whether the agency issues a specific vacancy announcement for the position.
Well-Qualified Employee.
An eligible employee who possesses knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the vacant position.
A well-qualified employee:
- Will not necessarily meet the agency’s definition of highly or best qualified, when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular vacancy;
- Must meet all applicable conditions, as determined by the agency in a uniform and consistent process;
- Meets the basic qualification standards and eligibility requirements for a position, including any medical or physical qualifications, suitability, and minimum educational and experience requirements;
- Meets one of the following two qualification requirements: • all selective factors where applicable, and appropriate quality rating factor levels as determined by the agency; or • rated by the agency to be above minimally qualified in accordance with the agency’s specific rating and ranking process;
- Is physically qualified, with reasonable accommodation where appropriate, to perform the essential duties of the position;
- Meets any special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position; and;
- Is able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry.
- An agency may not set selective and quality ranking factors that are so restrictive that the result interferes with the goal of placing displaced employees.
Factors expressed solely in terms of grade point average, class standing, and/or academic credentials or courses that exceed minimum qualification standards are overly restrictive and cannot be used.
In the absence of selective and quality ranking factors, selecting officials must document the job-related reasons the eligible employee is or is not considered to be well-qualified.
A well-qualified employee who is rated by the agency to be above minimally qualified in accordance with the agency’s specific rating and ranking process may or may not meet the agency’s test for highly qualified, but would in fact exceed the minimum qualifications for the position.
Under examining procedures where a specific point score (such as 70 points) is assigned to candidates meeting minimum qualification requirements, a candidate would have to score higher than this minimum score in order to be considered well-qualified.
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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
