OPM is proposing changes to federal personnel regulations to spell out when agencies may place employees on administrative leave and how “deferred resignation” programs can be run during workforce realignment efforts, according to a notice published in the Federal Register. The proposal also clarifies when agencies may accept—or deny—an employee’s attempt to withdraw a resignation submitted under a deferred resignation program.
- What’s changing: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes updates to federal personnel regulations governing administrative leave and resignations tied to deferred resignation programs, per the Federal Register notice.
- Administrative leave limits: OPM’s proposal is intended to clarify when administrative leave may be used in connection with workforce realignment and similar management actions, including deferred resignation programs.
- Deferred resignation rules: The proposal addresses how agencies may structure deferred resignation programs and the circumstances under which administrative leave could be part of those programs, according to OPM.
- Withdrawing a resignation: OPM proposes to clarify when an agency may accept or deny an employee’s request to withdraw a resignation that was submitted as part of a deferred resignation program.
- Who’s affected: Federal employees considering participation in a deferred resignation program, and agencies conducting workforce realignments that may involve administrative leave or resignation offers.
- Where it appears: The proposed rule is published in the Federal Register under OPM.
Brief context
Administrative leave is a paid status agencies sometimes use for short-term, non-duty periods. OPM’s proposal aims to reduce confusion and improve consistency across agencies by clarifying permissible uses—particularly when agencies are managing staffing changes through workforce realignment efforts and deferred resignation programs.
The resignation-withdrawal clarification matters because, under federal practice, an employee may seek to retract a resignation before its effective date, but agencies may have grounds to deny a withdrawal in certain circumstances. OPM’s proposal would more explicitly address how that applies when the resignation is connected to a deferred resignation program.
Employees weighing a deferred resignation should also consider the financial implications of leaving federal service, including any potential payout of unused annual leave upon separation. For estimating that amount, employees can use an annual leave payout calculator.
Source: Federal Register — OPM