Frequently Asked Questions
No.
Absolutely! We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so. The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector.
Yes. You will also continue to accrue annual leave and sick leave during the deferred resignation period until you separate. You will be paid a lump sum for accrued but unused annual leave upon separation.
You are most welcome to stay at home and relax or to travel to your dream destination. Whatever you would like.
Any government shutdown could potentially affect an employee’s pay regardless of whether he or she has accepted the deferred resignation offer. Moreover, if you accept the deferred resignation offer, you would still be entitled to backpay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. See 31 U.S.C. 1341(c)(2).
Yes. Employees who are eligible for the deferred resignation offer and are at least age 50 with at least 20 years creditable Federal service, or any age with at least 25 years creditable Federal service are eligible for VERA along with the deferred resignation offer (unless your position is exempted from the deferred resignation program by your agency).
Yes. You will continue to accrue retirement benefits during the deferred resignation period. Should you elect to retire (either early retirement or normal retirement) before your final resignation date, your retirement election will override the deferred resignation.
If your retirement date is between October 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025, you are still eligible for deferred resignation (unless your position is exempted from the deferred resignation program by your agency). If your retirement date is within this window, your deferred resignation date will be extended to match your retirement date.
Yes. Employees will continue to receive retirement service credit until their separation date.
You are welcome to type “resign and retire” into the reply email, but it is not required. If you simply write “resign,” and you are eligible for retirement on or before December 31, 2025, we will process your separation as of September 30, 2025, OR your approved separation date. If retiring, you will additionally need to submit a retirement application for processing in accordance with applicable law at some point prior to your retirement date (though it’s not necessary to do so before February 10). For information on retirement, please visit OPM’s Retirement Center webpage or contact your agency’s human resources office.
The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes. As a result of these changes (or for other reasons), you may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide you with sufficient time and economic security to plan for your future.
Deferred resignation is available to all full-time federal employees except for military personnel of the armed forces, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, those in positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, those in positions related to public safety, and those in other positions specifically excluded by your employing agency.
Visit the OPM website where you can review the email and find instructions for submitting your acceptance of the deferred resignation offer.
Nothing. You have no obligation to respond to the email. Accepting deferred resignation is in your sole discretion and is completely voluntary.
Deferred resignation will generally not be available to those who resign after the program closes. Certain exceptions might be made for employees who were on approved absence for some or all of the period while the program was open.
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.
If you missed the program deadline due to approved absence for some or all of the period while the program was open, you are entitled to request an extension. Employing agencies may grant reasonable extensions.
Yes, you may unilaterally accelerate your final resignation date for any reason.
The terms of the deferred resignation letter do not allow for an extension of the final resignation date. There is a narrow possible exception for employees with impending retirement dates. Consult your agency's human resources team for more information.
You will receive an email confirming receipt with additional information on next steps. Given the volume of emails, this confirmation email may take up to 72 hours. You should retain the record of your resignation email.
Yes. If you are eligible for the deferred resignation program and accept it, your agency can execute paperwork reflecting all the terms.
Deferred resignation does not affect your ability to apply to work for the federal government in the future.
Yes. The deferred resignation program uses only basic contact information about federal employees, like name and government email address, along with short, voluntary email responses. That information is stored on secure government systems. To the extent the Privacy Act applies, all information relevant to the program is covered by existing OPM System of Records Notices.