The White House is making waves with a huge offer – nearly 7 months of free compensation for anyone who walks away from the Federal workforce between now and February 6. The announcement comes with a few caveats, however – it specifically exempts military personnel, postal workers, and positions related to national security or law enforcement.
But if you don’t work in national security and you’re wondering about making your move out of federal government – here’s everything you need to know from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) fact sheet.
Q: Why is the federal government offering deferred resignation to the federal workforce?
A: The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes. As a result of these changes and uncertainty, or for other reasons, some employees may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide them with sufficient time and economic security to plan for their future.
Q: Who is eligible for deferred resignation?
A: Deferred resignation is available to all full-time federal employees except for military personnel of the armed forces the U.S. Postal Service, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and any other positions specifically excluded by your employing agency.
Q: What do we do if employees did not receive the deferred resignation email?
A: Either:
1) Send the email directly to the employee from your agency.
2) Direct the employee to visit the OPM website where they can review the email and all associated instructions.
Q: What happens if employees do not respond to the email or accept deferred resignation?
A: Nothing. Employees have no obligation to respond to the email. Accepting deferred resignation is in employees’ sole discretion and is completely voluntary.
Q: For employees who become eligible for early/normal retirement during the deferred resignation period (i.e., before September 30, 2025), will they be able to accept deferred resignation and still accept early/normal retirement during the deferred resignation period?
A: Yes. Employees will continue to accrue retirement benefits during the deferred resignation period. Should employees elect to retire (either early or normal) before their final resignation date, the retirement election will override the deferred resignation.
Q: Will employees who become eligible for normal (or early) retirement shortly after September 30, 2025 be permitted to accept deferred resignation without compromising their impending retirement?
A: Agencies should review any such requests on a case-by-case basis and may extend a waiver to accommodate reasonable requests.
Q: How do we handle employees who were on approved leave during some or all of the period between January 28, 2025 and February 6, 2025 and who, as a result, did not get a sufficient opportunity to evaluate and/or accept the deferred resignation letter?
A: Employees who missed the February 6, 2025 deadline due to approved absence for some or all of the period from January 27, 2025 to February 6, 2025 are entitled to request an extension and employing agencies may grant reasonable extensions.
Q: If an employee decides after February 6, 2025 that they would like to resign under the terms
offered in the January 28, 2025 deferred resignation letter, will they still be allowed to?
A: Deferred resignation will generally not be available to those who resign after February 6, 2025. Certain exceptions might be made for employees who were on approved absence for some or all of the period from January 28, 2025 to February 6, 2025.
Q: If an employee resigns and later changes their mind, will the employee be able to rescind their resignation?
A: Employees have the right to request a rescission of their resignation at any time and the employing agency will need to review such recission requests. As noted in the deferred resignation letter, it is the objective of the program to move quickly to consolidate and/or reassign roles and in many cases place employees on administrative leave which would likely serve as a valid reason to deny recission requests.
Q: May employees accelerate their resignation date to earlier than September 30, 2025?
A: Yes, employees may unilaterally accelerate their final resignation date for any reason.
Q: Can employees extend their final resignation date?
A: The terms of the deferred resignation letter do not allow for an extension of the final resignation date. As noted above, there is a narrow possible exception for employees with impending retirement dates.
Q: Can employees get another job outside of their current employing agency during the period between submission of their resignation and the final resignation date?
A: Nothing in the deferred resignation letter prevents agency employees from seeking outside employment during the period from submittal of their resignation to their final resignation date. Employing agencies should assess what restrictions, if any, exist for employees who have resigned but remain employed (including on administrative leave) by their employing agency.
Q: Can employees return to work in the federal government?
A: Deferred resignation does not affect employees’ ability to apply to work for the federal government in the future.
Q: How will employees know their resignations have been received and accepted?
A: Employees will receive an email confirming receipt with additional information on next steps. Given the volume of emails, this confirmation email may take up to 48 hours. Employees should retain the record of their resignation email.
Q: What if somebody resigns for on behalf of another employee without that employee’s authorization?
A: Deferred resignation can only be submitted from a secure government email. If someone has accessed an employee’s email without authorization, you should immediately follow your agency’s protocol for addressing such unauthorized use.
Q: Is there any additional paperwork needed to resign?
A: An employee’s acceptance of the deferred resignation letter will serve as a formal acceptance of deferred resignation. If the employing agency requests additional documentation, the deferred resignation letter obligates employees to cooperate with their employing agency to complete all reasonable and customary documentation.
