ProFeds Founder, Chris Kowalik, discusses what happens if an employee wishes to return to federal service after being RIF’ed.
Key takeaways:
- What processes are in place to facilitate a return to service
- How to return to federal service if you have already retired
- How to return to federal service if you left with no pension (or one that pays out later)
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- Link to full RIF training series: FedImpact.com/RIF-training-series
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Transcript of this episode coming soon:
Originally released on 3/7/2025
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For the millions of federal employees concerned about losing their jobs, there’s a segment of them who are already plotting their return back to federal service, and they have questions about what it looks like when they return.
My name is Chris Kowalik. I’m the founder of ProFeds. And welcome to the FedImpact Podcast, where we offer candid insights on your federal retirement.
Reduction in Force – What Happens if I Want to Return to Federal Service Later?
This episode is all about those feds who are thinking about coming back after they’ve been let go from government service. The good news is you can return. In fact, if you were RIF’d, if you were involuntarily removed from your position, you are allowed to return back to federal service on what we call the Reemployment Priority List.
So when vacancies open up and agencies begin hiring, you are in a priority status to be looked at for those positions. It’s far more complicated than that, but that’s the gist of the re-employment list.
If You Left With No Pension (or one that pays out later)
If you had no pension that was payable immediately to you, for instance, one that was deferred for many years, you would come back as a normal employee. Let’s say you had five years of service, you were technically vested for a pension, but one was not payable to you because you were too young.
If you return back to federal service, you’re just going to be rehired as a regular employee. All of the original time that you had can be credited to you as long as you do not take a refund or if you took a refund that you redeposited all of that money back.
Keep in mind, we’re not talking about how much you contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan. We’re talking about your contributions into the FERS retirement plan. This is an automatic deduction that comes from your pay and is completely separate from the TSP.
If You Left With a Pension
If you left and you got a pension and you later wanted to return to federal service, you could do so but you would come back as what we call a re-employed annuitant. You’re already retired, you want to come back to federal service. These are typically time-based appointments.
Some of them can be extended. And the rules by which how that new service is treated depends on the hiring authority that the agency had when they brought you into that position. I’m not going to go into the details of a re-employed annuitant, but the idea is if you retire, you can always come back in the event that you qualify for a job and you’re hired for one.
And this certainly doesn’t preclude you by taking one of these RIF actions, whether voluntary or involuntary does not keep you from returning back to federal service if you’re qualified and hired to do so.
Get Connected & Next Steps
Always lots to think about with all of this, but I love that people are already starting to think about what’s the next move, how does this really work. Because frankly, there’s a lot of you that really love the work that you do and you don’t want to go.
You’re simply wondering, how can I make this work in the long run if I can return back? I love to hear that. There are awful lot of great federal employees out there that I know are beside themselves with respect to all of these things happening so quickly. And so I love that you’re already thinking about how you can come back and continue to serve.
If you want to continue to get more updates and insights on your benefits, take out that phone and text the word podcast to 224-444-6144. We will get connected and you’ll get updated with all of the insights and benefits and training that we have available for federal employees.
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