Federal law requires that reduction-in-force (RIF) procedures include a minimum 60 days' notice of a RIF's end date, or 30 days if a waiver is granted by the Office of Personnel Management; RIF notices are required to include information such as the reasons for the RIF and the effective date, and some agencies may need to notify unions or Congress.
October 10, 2025
high
procedural
Statutory and regulatory process for federal workforce reductions.
Agency leaders can designate certain positions as 'excepted' to continue work during a lapse in appropriations, subject to department contingency plans and guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and legal constraints on activities that may lawfully continue during a shutdown.
high
temporal
Framework governing which federal positions may continue operating during funding lapses.