Resources and Information for Federal Employees and Others Impacted by Recent Changes in Administration Policies
“E te whanau, let us love one another, because love is from God. …If we do not love the people we have seen, it cannot be that we love God, whom we have not seen. …” *
Recent actions taken to reduce the size of the federal workforce have directly or indirectly impacted federal employees and families in our congregation and community. Federal contractors have or may also be affected. We anticipate that there will be third order effects in our community on local businesses, schools, and in other ways as underpinnings to the regional economy are altered.
Holy Comforter has created a new ministry to identify information and resources related to these changes, EconTransitions.
The ministry will start by focusing on the impact on federal workers and use that experience as an incubator for future efforts. Without asking you to judge the rationale for the Administration’s changes in priorities or federal staffing, we ask you to lean in with love to support those impacted – and this ministry – through prayer, your compassion, your time, and your talents.
Throughout this site, you will find links to information and resources compiled from publicly available sources, including agency websites, information provided by Offices or Members of Congress in Virginia and Maryland, available in Partnership for Public Service Webinars, or at Civil Service Strong. Please check back occasionally for updates and news about events and other resources as they become available.
Please contact [email protected] if:
You have suggestions, ideas, and other information to suggest for inclusion.
You are an experienced career counselor, human resource officer, certified coach, or another with appropriate experience and a willingness to donate your time and talents assist with such things as providing resume writing/reviewing assistance; help refresh job interview skills; and provide career or transitions coaching.
You are affected by the recent reductions-in-force if you have a specific request for assistance.
The information in this communication is provided for informational purposes only and is meant only to give a general overview of the legal rights of federal employees as outlined by executive branch agencies tasked with protecting and executing those rights and should not be interpreted as legal advice on any subject matter. For legal advice, speak with an attorney or, if you are in a bargaining unit, refer to your union.
* Quote is from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer. “E te whanau” is a salutation in Maori, meaning “to the family” or to another group, such as a group of friends or a community. Contextually, it might be understood as “To our brothers and sisters in Christ…”
Big Picture
Federal employees, including probationary employees, have due process rights in their hiring and firing; veterans may have additional rights. The rights of contract staff will differ, but we have included below some information contractors may file useful in the Unemployment Benefits section.
Documents to Gather and Things to Do NOW
Communication in a Time of Trial
Federal employees and others who have spoken out about government policies have sometimes been targeted on their social media.
The Office of Senator Tim Kaine provided the following resource to help protect yourself and your family: Protect Yourself Online – Shield from Doxing
“Doxing refers to the internet-based practice of gathering an individual’s personally identifiable information (PII)—or an organization’s sensitive information—from open source or compromised material and publishing it online for malicious purposes.”
Unemployment Benefits: What You Will Need and Where to File
Unemployment benefits for separated federal employees are filed and processed differently than benefits for the private sector.
Separated federal employees will need to obtain and provide specific information and will file not in their state of residence, but in the state where their post-of-duty was located (e.g., you may live in Virginia, but if your post-of-duty was Maryland, you’d file in Maryland). For more information, see: Unemployment Benefits Information and Records Federal Employees Will Need
The following contains links for anyone to use to file for unemployment benefits (financial and other) in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. We have also included information specific to separated federal employees: Unemployment Benefits State-By-State Links
Potential Financial Resources for Separated Federal Employees
You can leave your money in the Thrift Savings Plan when you separate from the federal government, change your investment mix, and transfer money into it from another retirement account such as an IRA or 401K.
You may be able to request a distribution of funds from your TSP account, but there may be tax consequences. Read the TSP booklets Distributions and Tax Rules on Payments.
Be aware: if you have any TSP loans at the time you separate and are unable to repay them, they may be deemed taxable distributions.
Make sure the TSP has your current address.
FEEA Loans for Certain Terminated Employees
Individuals who were full- or part-time permanent federal civilian or postal employees until recently laid off from the federal government may be eligible for no-fee, no-interest loans from the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA).
Your most recent federal salary must have been $65,000 or less.
Request a lump sum payment of your retirement contributions
Because it may affect future benefits, you should speak with an OPM retirement specialist or financial advisor before withdrawing your contributions from the federal retirement system. Taking a refund of your retirement contributions will either affect your ability to obtain federal government retirement benefits in the future or, alternatively, impact the amount of such benefits. Therefore, they should not be withdrawn lightly.
When you separate from service, you can apply to receive a one-time, lump-sum distribution (refund) of your retirement contributions.
Information for Retirement-Eligible Employees
If you were involuntarily separated before you had the opportunity to submit a retirement application, but you were otherwise eligible for retirement at the time you separated, you may still be eligible for immediate, voluntary retirement.
It can take some time to process retirement applications, particularly when many people may be applying at once. OPM Retirement Quick Guide
When possible, start the process before you are separated or, at least, consult with your agency’s retirement office before you separate about what information you will need and steps you will need to take to submit your retirement application. Many/most agencies assist employees with the process (you submit the paperwork to them, they submit it to OPM).
Gather the required information and records and have them available at home.
Federal Employees Health Insurance – Continued Coverage Option
If you are enrolled in a Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plan at the time you are separated from federal employment, with very rare exception, you are eligible for continued coverage for up to 18 months. You are eligible for “temporary continuation of coverage” (TCC) unless your separation is involuntary due to gross misconduct.* Otherwise, the reasons for your separation don’t matter.
This coverage is not automatic – you must elect it and must do so within specific time frames. Important highlights may be found here: Health Insurance_Temporary Continuation of Coverage
Full information on TCC may be found here: Health Insurance
* Definition per OPM, “Gross Misconduct. For purposes of qualifying for temporary continuation of coverage (TCC), a flagrant and extreme transgression of law or established rule of action for which you are separated from service and for which a judicial or administrative finding of gross misconduct has been made.”
Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness
The future of this complex program, which provides for the cancellation of remaining debt to borrowers who make 120 on-time monthly student loan payments for 10 years while working for the government or certain non-profits, is unclear.
However, if you were enrolled in the program while a federal employee, to preserve your ability to transfer credit for payments made to another, eligible public sector job (e.g., in state government or with certain non-profits), one expert recommends that you do the following: (1) Download your payment data from studentaid.gov. (2) Ask your agency’s human resources department to complete an employment certification to ensure you get credit for the time you worked in the federal government.
In certain circumstances, you may be able to buy back certain months in your payment history in order to complete your total of 120 qualifying payments.
See studentaid.gov for additional information about your options.
When Time Was Short – Obtaining Your Own Information
Some federal employees have been terminated without notice or with little notice and did not have the time and opportunity to download records or find those they had squirrelled away in their desks. You may be able to obtain them directly from your agency’s HRO. If necessary, you can request them via a request under the Privacy Act of 1974.
Obtaining Records Via the Privacy Act of 1974
As discussed in “Obtaining Records Via the Privacy Act of 1974,” we are providing a link to a sample request letter, but be aware that each agency may have its own specific form and, if they do, you should use the form provided by the agency and not the sample provided at the following link: Sample Privacy Act Request (to be used only when an agency does not provide a specific request form/format)
Reduction-in-Force
Reductions-in-force (RIFs) are required to be conducted in accordance with the law: federal employees may not generally be summarily fired and are entitled to due process. This is true even of probationary and trial period employees, although their rights may be more limited.
This link provides an explanation of what you should expect during a reduction-in-force conducted in a manner consistent with established law.
Involuntary Separation: Complaints and Appeals
Separation from federal employment in a manner not consistent with established law may provide grounds for you to file a Complaint with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an Appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), or a Complaint of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). For information and resources related to filing complaints and appeals, see Description of Complaint and Appeal Processes
Probationary and Trial Period Employees
Although their rights to do so may be more limited, probationary and trial period employees may also file complaints with OSC, the MSPB, and the EEOC. As is also the case for permanent employees, complaints and appeals must be filed within certain time frames.
Probationary-Trial Period_Resources and Information
See also Description of Complaint and Appeal Processes
Other Resources
A number of unions have a national consultation relationship with the Office of Personnel Management.
The SF-50 is the Notification of Personnel Action.
It contains employment information useful when applying for a new job or when applying for benefits, such as continued health insurance coverage, retirement, or unemployment or other benefits.
You should request your SF-50 from your employing agency before anticipated need.
Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch
Have questions or need more information? Please contact [email protected].