OPM Rescinds Harmful Anti-Employee Regulations

The Office of Personnel Management last week issued a final rule that will undo anti-employee regulations established under the previous administration.

NTEU had strongly urged OPM to take this step, and the final rule acknowledges the union’s admonition that the prior regulations “eviscerated federal employees’ rights.”

The 2020 OPM rules were aimed at making it easier to fire employees. They discouraged the use of progressive discipline, shortened the timeframe for employees to respond to adverse action notices and barred settlement agreements that require amendments of personnel records.

After taking office, President Biden rescinded the previous administration's executive order and NTEU urged OPM to act swiftly to nullify actions taken to implement it.

According to OPM, the changes will “empower agencies to rebuild the career federal work force and protect the civil service rights of their employees.”