Agency budgets and staffing levels have been significantly reduced with more cuts to come. The newspapers report that cuts sustained to date reflect the easy decisions. As civil servants we are being asked by the President, the Congress and the American people to continue to do more with less. In human terms, that means that we see many of our long- time friends and colleagues retiring or leaving to take other jobs. Their jobs go unfilled and we are asked to take up the slack.
Promotional opportunities vanish as senior jobs vacate and are eliminated.
We all wonder if our own jobs are secure. And our friends and neighbors in the private sector appear unsympathetic because they have been going through the same for several years. Many of us assumed that we would spend our entire careers in Federal service. But over the next few years, many of us are facing a future where we will no longer be working for the government. On this site we will explore what happens during a Reduction In Force, how to assess your chances during a major RIF, and what your rights are if you are adversely affected.