Guides · Updated August 13, 2026
Federal Deferred Resignation Program: Is It Still Open?
See what the 2025 federal Deferred Resignation Program covered, whether an offer is open in 2026, and what it meant for pay and returning to federal work.
If you are trying to determine whether an old offer or a new agency notice applies to you, the short answer depends on which program you mean. The commonly referenced federal deferred resignation program was a voluntary, government-wide 2025 workforce-reduction offer that OPM rolled out on January 28, 2025, letting eligible federal employees resign by September 30 while staying on paid administrative leave. That specific offer closed in February 2025 after its response deadline, and OPM has not reopened a single government-wide window since.
As of mid-2026, OPM guidance allows individual agencies to run their own deferred resignation agreements for fiscal year 2026, so any current offer depends on your agency, not a fresh government-wide program. This page covers federal civilian employees who took the 2025 offer and the narrower rules shaping fiscal 2026 agency versions, not a general resignation or retirement guide.
Deferred resignation rules at a glance
Check your situation against the government-wide terms, then confirm with your agency since implementation could vary.
| Your situation | What generally applied | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Checking eligibility | Open to full-time employees, with exclusions for military personnel, Postal Service staff, and immigration enforcement or national security roles. Agencies could add their own exclusions. Temporary and term employees with full-time work schedules also qualified, with their resignation date set to the earlier of their appointment's end date or September 30, 2025. | OPM's January 28, 2025 memorandum; February 19 agency HR FAQs |
| Pay status and duties | Employees were placed on paid administrative leave once duties were reassigned, though agencies could require a short transition period first. | OPM's January 28, 2025 memorandum |
| Leaving before the agreed date | A participant could move up the resignation date for any reason. | OPM's January 28, 2025 memorandum |
| Withdrawing the resignation | Rescission requests were reviewed case by case. Already receiving administrative leave was a common reason agencies denied the request. | OPM's January 28, 2025 memorandum; February 19 HR FAQs |
| Taking outside employment | Nonfederal work was allowed if it met ethics rules and any required agency approval, since ethics obligations continued during the leave period. | Office of Government Ethics DRP guidance |
| Applying for another federal job | Participation did not block a later federal application, but it did not promise selection or reemployment. | OPM Deferred Resignation Program FAQs |
The 2025 federal Deferred Resignation Program traded regular federal work for a delayed, paid exit rather than an ordinary resignation, a reduction in force, or an early-retirement buyout. Understanding how each piece worked, and where your agency's rules diverged from the government-wide description, matters more than the headline offer. Here is what actually happened once someone accepted.
The offer delayed separation instead of ending it right away
OPM's January 28, 2025 memorandum told agencies the federal workforce faced significant near-term changes and framed deferred resignation as a way to give employees who wanted to leave more time to plan their next steps while keeping their pay for a while longer. Accepting created a resignation with a future effective date, generally September 30, 2025, rather than an immediate departure.
That structure set the program apart from more familiar exits. An ordinary resignation does not itself include that agreed paid-leave period. A reduction in force is agency-initiated and involuntary, while OPM continued to treat Deferred Resignation Program separations as voluntary even when an agency denied a request to cancel one. Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments are separate authorities agencies had to approve independently; taking the deferred resignation alone did not create a right to either one.
Eligibility rules and agency decisions worked together
Government-wide guidance covered most full-time civilian employees but excluded military personnel, Postal Service employees, and positions tied to immigration enforcement or national security. Beyond that baseline, each agency could exclude additional positions, which meant identical titles at two agencies could get different answers.
The Department of Defense illustrates how far agency execution could vary from the OPM template. Its own program FAQ set a goal of reducing the civilian workforce in a controlled way by letting employees enter paid leave status, on top of OPM's baseline terms. HHS published its own participant FAQ as well, a reminder that the controlling documents were always OPM's guidance plus your specific agency's written offer and instructions, not a single universal script.
Being on administrative leave still meant you were a federal employee
The practical takeaway: accepting did not end your job on day one. OPM directed agencies to reassign or eliminate participants' duties and place them on paid administrative leave, though an agency head could require someone to keep working through a transition period first.
Pay generally continued at the normal rate through the effective date, and retirement service credit kept accruing. Health insurance, life insurance, and Thrift Savings Plan participation stayed active because separation had not yet occurred; TSP loan payments still had to be made even while contributions could be adjusted.
If retirement eligibility is relevant, ask your benefits office in writing what applies to your record. This is general information, not legal or financial advice: because outcomes depend on individual service history, request a written benefits estimate from your agency's benefits office before assuming any standard result.
Changing the date or backing out worked differently
Participants could move their resignation date earlier for any reason, which also moved up the end of their federal service and its effect on leave payouts and benefits.
Asking to rescind did not cancel the resignation automatically. OPM told agencies that receiving administrative leave could justify denying the request, and a denial did not convert the voluntary resignation into an involuntary one. Get any date change or rescission decision in writing before relying on it.
Outside work stayed subject to federal ethics rules
The Office of Government Ethics stated that ethics laws still applied to anyone in a leave status, including deferred resignation participants, until official separation. Working for another employer was generally allowed, but it still required agency-approval steps where applicable and could trigger recusal or conflict-of-interest reviews if the new employer did business with your agency.
Applying for federal jobs again is not a promise of rehire
OPM's guidance said deferred resignation does not affect a former participant's ability to apply for federal jobs later. Eligibility to apply is separate from selection, suitability review, or any guarantee of reemployment, so treat future applications like any other competitive hiring process.
Check your records, then plan the next step
Deferred resignation is not a cash buyout. If a coworker is circulating a VSIP or lump-sum rumor alongside a deferred-resignation notice, read federal employee buyout rumors before treating those as the same program. Before moving on, confirm your separation date and Standard Form 50, final pay and leave payout, and the status of health, life, and TSP accounts with your agency's HR and benefits offices. Former participants exploring private-sector options can compare matched private-sector roles built around federal experience through FedUp.work, a career-planning tool rather than a federal hiring system or a promise of any offer. For a closer look at moving from government service into private industry, see the federal-to-private-sector transition guide.
Sources and further reading
- OPM's January 28, 2025 deferred resignation memorandum: Explains why OPM created the 2025 offer, who was eligible, and how administrative leave and transition duties worked.
- OPM's fiscal 2026 deferred resignation and VERA guidance: Explains how individual agencies may use deferred resignation agreements during fiscal year 2026 and links to OPM's related guidance.
- OPM's February 19, 2025 FAQs for agency HR and benefits offices: Answers eligibility questions for temporary and term employees and explains rescission, Thrift Savings Plan, and health-insurance treatment.
- Office of Government Ethics guidance on the Deferred Resignation Program: Explains which federal ethics rules, financial-disclosure requirements, and outside-employment approval steps applied before separation.
- NASA's Deferred Resignation Program shutdown and furlough guidance: Answers how a shutdown furlough affected participant pay, transition duties, and dates in a signed resignation agreement.
Common questions about deferred resignation
Is there a federal Deferred Resignation Program in 2026?
Not as one government-wide offer. OPM guidance says agencies may run their own deferred resignation agreements during fiscal year 2026, generally up to six months and only if funding allows. Whether anything is available to you depends on your agency, not a new nationwide program, so check with your human resources office directly.
Can former Deferred Resignation Program participants apply for federal jobs again?
Yes. OPM's guidance states that taking deferred resignation does not affect your ability to apply for federal jobs later. You would go through the normal application process for each opening, including any qualification and appointment requirements listed in the vacancy announcement.
Does applying again mean a former participant will be rehired?
No. Eligibility to apply is not a promise of reemployment. The hiring agency still reviews your qualifications, decides whether to select you, and makes the appointment like it would for any other competitive hire.
Would deferred-resignation pay stop during a government shutdown?
Not automatically, but don't assume your pay date holds steady either. Agency guidance has confirmed that a shutdown furlough does not change the dates in a signed deferred resignation agreement, and back pay after a lapse in appropriations is required by law. Still, delays and processing issues can happen, so confirm your specific timeline with your agency's payroll office rather than relying on general assurances.
Can a deferred resignation be withdrawn once it's accepted?
You can ask, but the agency doesn't have to say yes. OPM told agencies that once someone is receiving paid administrative leave, that alone can justify denying a rescission request. Put the request in writing and keep working under the accepted terms until you get a written answer confirming any change.
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