The proposal will also hurt veterans.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/05/2026-04377/reduction-in-force

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.

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.

Comments close May 4, 2026.

Leadership is not about authority alone… it is about judgment, accountability, and the ability to recognize the difference between managing people and simply managing numbers. Employees are not obstacles to work being completed, they are the reason the mission succeeds in the first place. Strong organizations are built when good employees are supported, heard, and valued … not treated as garbage or disposable.

Every workplace has challenges. There will always be employees who need correction, improvement, or accountability. But leadership loses credibility when the same approach is applied to everyone equally, regardless of effort, performance, or circumstances. The employees who consistently work, carry heavy workloads, and continue producing results should not feel punished alongside those who do not contribute at the same level.

Managers… you were given authority for a reason. Not simply to enforce directives, but to make thoughtful decisions, exercise discretion, and lead with both fairness and common sense. Sometimes the best management decision is not the easiest one , it is the one that requires listening, having honest conversations, understanding obstacles, and finding practical solutions that protect both the workforce and the mission.

Good leadership is proactive. It recognizes that unresolved concerns, poor communication, and unnecessary rigidity do not just hurt morale… they create long-term problems for agencies, teams, and public trust. Policies matter, but so does humanity. “We were directed to” can only go so far when people stop feeling respected, supported, or understood.

Leaders also need to understand that many employees’ lives have been turned upside down. Just because someone does not openly say it, or because the impact is not immediately visible, does not mean it is not there. In many cases, the employees carrying the heaviest emotional weight are the very ones trying to do the right thing and continuing to perform despite everything around them changing.

The strongest leaders are the ones who understand that taking care of dedicated employees is not weakness .. it is smart management. Reward strong work. Encourage accountability fairly. Understand that different roles come with different demands. Have honest conversations with employees and truly listen to what they are experiencing, what obstacles they are facing, and what support they may need to continue succeeding.

Do not let pressure, fear, or constant change slowly break down the people who have continued to give their best. Because little by little, that is exactly what can happen. And too often, the ones who suffer the most are the good employees ..the ones who care deeply, carry more than they should, and continue pushing forward without complaint.

Leadership is not measured by how much control someone has. It is measured by the decisions they make when they have it and whether they choose to build people up or wear them  down. And don’t forget , you have a duty not only to follow rules and directives but also follow the law.

Time will pass but people wont forget.

As a federal employee, I have a responsibility to follow laws, policies, and protection of the public even when facing pressure or conflicting guidance. My duty is not only to carry out my work ethically and professionally, but also to protect the integrity of the agency, the rights of the clients and the government from unnecessary risk, future litigation, or avoidable taxpayer expense. Upholding the law and established procedures is part of my obligation to both the public and the country I work for .

Do the right thing.

My RA was approved a year ago but I still don’t feel secure. Everything that has been going on and continues to make me feel I need to jump ship. I was hired remote before all this and now am the only one on my team that gets to work from home. I’ve been looking to leave this job even if it means leaving remote structure. We are being underpaid and overworked with no real growth opportunities. 2026 COLA was 1% and 2027 is 0%. Anyone else feels the same way.

I medically retired after over 11 years in the military and immediately found a civilian job making almost $100k. The turnover at my company is really high due to the nature of the work but job security is great for a multitude of reasons. However, the benefits are not. PTO accrual sucks and there is no sick time and we only get half of the federal holidays off and it still comes out of your PTO. The light of my job is my coworkers, truly hit the jack pot. I’m able to work from home as needed, but we are expected to be very flexible if needed in addition to our normal office hours and I take call almost once a month for one week at a time with no extra pay. I recently applied for the VA GHATP HSS Trainee and was selected however it is a steep decrease in pay and I am worried about the state of federal employment but also feel very called to continue my civil service and miss my 11 federal holidays and leave! I have been doing some digging and a lot of workers seem satisfied with the BA I’d be working at but it just seems like a huge gamble and could go either way. My husband is supportive and we are able to maintain our lifestyle with the decrease in pay. I’d love to hear from anyone who completed GHATP or from those working within the HSS role currently.

One thing I’ve noticed talking with a lot of federal employees:

Most people understand parts of their retirement… but very few see how everything fits together.

You might hear:

• something about your TSP
• something about your pension
• something about healthcare
• something about Social Security

But rarely is it explained as a complete system.

Here’s the reality:

Your retirement isn’t built on one decision it’s how these pieces interact:

• FERS Pension → your foundation of income
• TSP → flexible, market-based component
• Social Security → supplemental income (with timing decisions)
• FEHB / Medicare → healthcare costs & coverage
• Taxes → impact what you actually keep

Individually, each one makes sense.

But the real planning happens in how they work together.

Where people tend to run into problems:

• Making TSP decisions without considering taxes
• Choosing pension options without thinking about survivor needs
• Planning income without factoring in healthcare costs
• Treating everything as separate instead of coordinated

That’s where small decisions can have a bigger long-term impact.

A simple way to think about it:

You’re not just managing investments…

You’re building a retirement income system.

The goal isn’t just growth it’s:

• coordination
• predictability
• flexibility

I’m putting together a live educational session next week walking through how all of this fits together step-by-step for federal employees.

If that would be helpful, here’s the link:
👉 https://retire.independencebenefits.com/2026retirementbriefing

Happy to answer questions here too, I know this stuff isn’t always explained clearly.

Just need to vent.

I was given a broadening assignment a couple months ago. It sucks and I can tell it was totally made up.

Everything that I was told I was going to be doing, including being a technical lead for a project was cancelled shortly after I got there, but I wasn't made aware of it.

I spent a month helping with one of my split duties that I was originally assigned so it wasn't terrible. But I was bored...the tasks were easy enough that I got most of it done in a couple days. During a follow up with my home branch chief, I asked if I could come back, explaining to her everything that was going on. Her response wasn't very helpful. She made the whole conversation about her and how she achieved everything in her own (which mostly lies, she was hand picked by the previous branch chief).

I finally sat down with my new managers and that's when I found out that they changed my role/job description there. I did negotiate back one of the original roles into my job description, but I'm just a gov poc, the contractor is the "belly button" aka lead. But the new role completely new territory and imo I'm the wrong person to be tasked with it. I'm better suited for the original role. I could go back to my home branch chief, but after our last conversation she's gung-ho on me with this broadening assignment. She's under the impression I want to be a manager (we've never had a conversation about this nor has she ever indicated that she sees management potential) and wants me in this assignment to help "my career".

I know I should be thankful for having a job, and I'll still do the work and make the best of it.

(Edited for clarity.)

At the beginning of this year, I escaped an abusive relationship. After I ended it, my ex threatened to ruin my life, my career, and my family if I refused to speak to him again. When I blocked him, he began what I can only describe as a relentless smear campaign .

He contacted family members he had never even met in an attempt to damage my reputation. He reached out to local newspapers trying to convince them to publish false stories about me. My garage was broken into, and contraband planted there to implicate me in criminal activity. I had to hire a private K9 detection unit to inspect my property.

When I still refused contact, the harassment escalated. He contacted social services and falsely accused my sister’s household of abuse involving my nephew that I was complicit in — people he had never met. He also attempted to interfere with my sister’s employment by falsely claiming she was under investigation. Again he’d never met my family . Thankfully, these allegations were quickly disproven, but the emotional toll on my family was immense.

Eventually, he contacted my federal employer and made horrifying accusations against me, claiming I was involved in illegal activities. I was interrogated by OPR based solely on fabricated screenshots with phone numbers that aren’t even mine , fake profiles, and false messages that were not mine and supposedly “multiple witnesses.” The questions I was asked were devastating and deeply traumatic. I cannot fully express the damage this did to my mental health.

During the height of all of this, I was living in fear. I was being harassed, my home was broken into, I was staying in safe house locations, isolating myself, and trying to survive emotionally while feeling completely unprotected. The depression caused by this is immense .

In the middle of the investigation and prior to signing an affidavit , the government shutdown occurred, and under the weight of everything happening, I ultimately resigned from my position. I was emotionally exhausted and struggling to cope. What hurt deeply was the feeling that OPR never truly investigated the evidence thoroughly. Had proper forensic analysis been done, search warrants been executed , it would have shown that the fake accounts and messages did not originate from me. I also offered to do tests to prove some of the other accusations false and was not given the opportunity to do so .

Because of the government shutdown my resignation has not been processed .
Recently, a former supervisor contacted me and informed me that the investigator allegedly insinuated they intended to make sure I could never hold another federal job again. Hearing that shattered me.

Right now, I feel attacked from every direction. My mental health has suffered tremendously under the weight of the fear, stress,, and uncertainty. While I am grateful to still be alive, the pain this has caused is overwhelming.

I am asking for prayers, support, and insight from anyone who has experienced stalking, harassment, false accusations, or abuse that escalated beyond the relationship itself. I am trying my best to hold on, but I am struggling more than words can explain.

PS : yes the police are aware . there are police reports filed with multiple agencies documenting what has occurred . There hasn’t been enough to arrest him because he hasn’t said he’s going to un- alive me yet . The police can’t protect me . A restraining order can’t protect me . The only thing I know to do is to not engage and keep myself as safe as I can .

Also OPR claims they don’t know who my ex is . They only care about what allegations he made . They say it doesn’t matter who gave them info or what the motive behind the allegation is , what matters is them investing the allegations .

I guess I've been overreacting and it's all been in my head, because hearing Darth Bergum talk at the DOI Town Hall let me know that we're actually thriving. All those entry level Park Rangers weren't actually fired, and Darth Doug has really been saying all along how important visitor facing positions are. I didn't know I was doing so well! The budget? Great! We haven't seen it yet, but it's there and it's good! And maybe my office missed the email, but I guess we ARE actually hiring! I had no idea!

This must be what winning feels like. I had no idea. They haven't been hardships and crushing short staffing and rampant mental health crisis' throughout offices, this is actually going really well.

Consider me inspired! Thanks Doug!

Today, I was putting in an Leave request and noticed this new category in the pull-down in GovTA. I don't recall if it was under AL or SL

Anyone familiar with it at your agency? It's not been communicated to us employees so I assume that other agencies that are paid by NFC might need to have this.

Do the recruitment guidelines for a contracting position at the Federal Reserve Bank require DOB (month/day) and last 4 of social before a recruiter can even present you?

I’ve had two interactions with recruiters this week (for FRB, and also an entertainment company) where they asked for this. I totally get that they want a commitment that you aren’t going to be represented to that client by anyone else, but it seems too early in the process to ask for this. The person recruiting for FRB sent guidelines and forms that indicated that the contractor had to be pre-vetted before presented. The recruiter said it was because there have been a lot of misrepresented applicants and cheating. But the list of things needed includes DL presented during video call, photo displayed publicly on LinkedIn (mine is only visible to connections), DOB and last 4 SSN, and a real signature on a scanned document that says you‘ve never worked for the FRB.

This all seems like enough fodder to empty all my accounts.

Can someone on the inside verify if any of this is actually required?