OPM is proposing updates to federal personnel regulations that would tighten and clarify when agencies may place employees on administrative leave — including when agencies use deferred resignation programs and other workforce realignment efforts — and when employees can withdraw a resignation connected to those programs.
Key facts (per OPM’s proposed rule in the Federal Register):
- The proposal would clarify when and how agencies may use administrative leave in connection with workforce realignment and deferred resignation programs.
- OPM says the updates are intended to provide clearer, more consistent standards for agencies administering administrative leave in these situations.
- The proposal would also clarify when an agency may accept or deny an employee’s request to withdraw a resignation that is tied to a deferred resignation program.
- OPM is proposing to update federal regulations (not agency guidance), meaning the changes would apply governmentwide once finalized.
- The rulemaking focuses on administrative leave usage and resignation-withdrawal decisions in the context of realignment tools, not on changes to pay tables, locality pay, or leave accrual rates.
Context Administrative leave is a management tool agencies sometimes use to keep an employee in a paid status while addressing operational needs, transitions, or personnel actions. Deferred resignation programs — sometimes used during reorganizations or reshaping efforts — can involve employees agreeing to resign at a future date under specified terms.
OPM’s proposal aims to reduce ambiguity around two recurring pressure points during realignments: (1) whether administrative leave is appropriate and under what conditions when employees are exiting under a deferred resignation arrangement, and (2) whether an employee who has submitted a resignation as part of such a program can later retract it — and when an agency can say no.
For employees, the practical impact will depend on how an agency structures any deferred resignation program and how it documents administrative leave decisions. If you are considering a deferred resignation or are already in one, pay close attention to the program’s written terms and any agency communications about resignation withdrawal, because OPM’s proposed clarifications would govern how agencies apply those rules across the executive branch.
Source: Federal Register — OPM