Administrative Leave for Workforce Realignment & Other Purposes

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed this regulation on administrative leave, which would codify OPM's own prior policy issuances on administrative leave, including: Template for Agency Administrative Leave Policies (July 30, 2025), Legality of Deferred Resignation Program (Feb. 4, 2025), Guidance Regarding Deferred Resignation Program (January 28, 2025), Guidance on Probationary Periods, Administrative Leave and Details (Jan. 20, 2025, modified on Mar. 4, 2025). The proposed regulation details proper and improper uses of administrative leave. One provision of the proposed regulation would permit the use of administrative leave for deferred resignation or similar "early out" programs, despite that some have argued that the use is not consistent with a federal law on the use of administrative leave, 5 U.S.C. § 6329a. Another provision authorized the use of adminstrative leave for employees subject to reduction in force actions.