Your FY2026 Performance Rating Now Carries RIF Points: Four Moves to Make Before It Closes
Your FY2026 performance rating is worth RIF retention points now, and for many federal employees the appraisal period closes on September 30. Seven points: that is what a Level 5 rating is worth in a reduction in force under the rule in force since September 2. A Level 3 is worth three. This is the first closeout under OPM's revised performance appraisal rule, and OPM has said that standardized rating distributions and calibration panels apply to it. Here are four things to know or do before your rating is final.
Four: Know What Changed
OPM's new appraisal rule, published July 7, 2026, at 91 Fed. Reg. 41,521, took effect August 6. The old prohibition on a "forced, or standardized, distribution" of ratings is gone. OPM told FEDweek that the standardized distribution applies to the FY2026 closeout and that agencies had to have a calibration program in place by September 20.
OPM's manual for agency performance management officers gives an example of 10 percent of employees at Level 5 and 20 percent at Level 4. OPM describes that as an example, not a fixed pattern, and says the limits apply agency-wide rather than team by team. In practice, your supervisor rates you and a calibration panel adjusts across the agency.
Three: Write Your Self-Assessment Like Evidence, Not a Diary
According to FEDweek's account of OPM's manual, calibration panels ask five questions when choosing among high performers: what did you accomplish, what effect did it have, how difficult was it, was it sustained, and how did it serve the mission. Answer those five, with numbers wherever you can. Spend ten minutes on each accomplishment. "Team player" is not a number.
Two: Ask HR Which Route Challenges a Rating This Year
Under the new rule, ratings of record generally can no longer be grieved through the union's negotiated grievance procedure, with one exception: if your collective bargaining agreement was already in effect when the rule issued, the negotiated route remains available until that agreement expires. For many employees, the agency's administrative grievance procedure may be what is left. Ask your human resources office, in writing if necessary, which procedure applies to a rating challenge this year, and keep the answer.
One: Save Every Rating of Record from the Last Four Years
Under OPM's RIF rule, in force since September 2, retention credit comes from your three most recent ratings of record. A Level 5 is worth 7 points, a Level 4 is worth 5, a Level 3 is worth 3, and Levels 1 and 2 are worth zero. Pull every rating of record from the last four years and save them somewhere you control, not only on an agency system. That is your retention standing now. It takes ten minutes. Do it today.
A Note on Precision
A rating by itself is not an adverse action, and ratings have never been appealable to the MSPB on their own. A rating still has to rest on your actual job: 5 U.S.C. § 4302 requires performance standards that permit accurate evaluation based on objective criteria. A within-grade increase still requires a rating of record of at least Level 3 under 5 C.F.R. § 531.404(a).
If a lower rating turns into a performance improvement plan or a proposed action under chapter 43 or chapter 75, that is when your notice and reply rights attach, and that is the day to call your union representative or a federal employment attorney. The reply period is short.
Protect Your Standing Before the Rating Closes
Four unions are challenging the appraisal rule in federal court, but it remains in effect while that case is pending, and this month's rating will count.
Legal Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Federal employment situations are fact-specific and time-sensitive. Please consult a qualified federal employment attorney about your specific situation. You can contact Southworth PC at attorneysforfederalemployees.com.