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Employees who received reduction-in-force notices during the government shutdown will be notified within 5 days that the RIF has been rescinded, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
The spending agreement that allowed the government to reopen on Nov. 13 specifically canceled all RIFs that were initiated during the 43-day shutdown and bans any new RIF notices through Jan. 30, 2026.
The new OPM memo published late Wednesday also states that OPM “is committed to ensuring that retroactive pay is provided as soon as possible.” Employees who were furloughed or worked without pay during the shutdown are entitled to all back pay, as clearly required by a 2019 law that NTEU supported.
The 17-page memo also includes information for employees regarding multiple pay, benefit, leave and human resources-related issues impacted by the shutdown, such as the restoration of accrued leave or potential changes to alternative work schedules.