OPM is proposing a major rewrite of federal Reduction-in-Force (RIF) rules that would shift retention decisions toward employee performance and away from tenure-based advantages, while also updating who must compete in a RIF and how the Reemployment Priority List (RPL) works.
- Action: Proposed rule from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revising governmentwide RIF regulations.
- Published: March 5, 2026 in the Federal Register.
- Document: 2026-04377.
- Core change: OPM says the proposal would make RIF retention decisions more merit-based by weighting performance more heavily than tenure, while streamlining procedures.
- Coverage: The proposal revises rules on RIF competition, including which employees are excluded from competing in a RIF, according to OPM.
- RPL updates: OPM also proposes changes to the Reemployment Priority List (RPL)—the program that can give certain separated employees priority consideration for jobs—updating related procedures and requirements.
- Where to read it: Federal Register notice: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/05/2026-04377/reduction-in-force
For federal employees, RIF rules matter because they control the order of retention when an agency abolishes positions due to reorganization, lack of work, shortage of funds, or other reasons. Under long-standing RIF practice, retention standing has typically been driven by factors such as tenure group, veterans’ preference, length of service, and performance ratings. OPM’s proposal signals a policy shift: the agency says it wants retention outcomes to better reflect recent performance rather than primarily rewarding time in service.
OPM also indicates the proposed rule would adjust which employees are excluded from RIF competition, a change that could affect whether some workers must compete for retention or are outside the competitive process entirely. Separately, changes to the RPL could affect how quickly—and under what conditions—eligible former employees receive priority for vacancies after separation.
Employees in organizations facing restructuring, budget-driven downsizing, or position eliminations will want to track this rulemaking closely because RIF rules can directly affect job security, placement rights, and reemployment options. Agencies would still need to follow final governmentwide regulations and applicable bargaining obligations, but OPM’s proposed framework is aimed at changing how retention is determined across the civil service.
Source: Office of Personnel Management, “Reduction in Force,” Proposed Rule, Federal Register (March 5, 2026), Doc. No. 2026-04377: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/05/2026-04377/reduction-in-force