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This week, NTEU filed comments opposing OPM’s proposal to radically change the decades-old formula by which agencies carry out reductions-in-force (RIFs).
Currently, in a RIF, agencies are supposed to prioritize objective criteria, such as length of service. But OPM’s proposal would give more weight to subjective and potentially discriminatory performance evaluations. The proposal will also potentially hurt veterans.
OPM’s proposal is bad enough, but is even worse when considered alongside two earlier proposals which NTEU also opposed. Recently, OPM proposed a forced ratings distribution system, which will require more employees to receive lower ratings no matter how well they actually perform. OPM also separately proposed to remove employees’ and unions’ ability to challenge RIF decisions at the Merit Service Protection Board. OPM’s most recent RIF proposal builds upon the worst aspects of those two earlier proposals.