OPM Cancels 2025 FEVS: What Federal Employees Need to Know
dei federal employee rights federal employment fevs 2025 opm Aug 21, 2025For years, the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) has been the government’s tool to measure morale, engagement, and inclusion across agencies. But after months of delay, OPM just announced it will not administer the 2025 FEVS. For federal employees, this raises a critical question: does skipping the survey violate the law?
The short answer: OPM itself may not be directly breaking the regulation, but each agency still has a legal duty to run an annual employee survey. Under 5 CFR 250.302–303, agencies must conduct an Annual Employee Survey (AES) each year, gather responses by December 31, and post the results—including response rates and methodology—within 120 days. If your agency does nothing, it is out of compliance.
What Agencies Must Do
OPM has traditionally satisfied the requirement for agencies by running FEVS. With that off the table, leadership at each agency must now either:
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Administer their own compliant AES with the core required questions, or
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Risk scrutiny from Inspectors General, Congress, or even the courts for failing to comply.
There may not be an explicit penalty clause, but noncompliance creates real accountability issues. For federal employees, this means you should save documentation—performance plans, emails about participation, even instructions on anonymity—because those details matter if questions arise later.
The Bigger 2025 Context
This cancellation doesn’t happen in isolation. Earlier this year, many of you received the “Fork in the Road” email about deferred resignation, offering pay and benefits through September if you agreed to leave early. Then came unevenly enforced “five accomplishments” reporting requirements. Layered on top of these policy shifts is rhetoric from leadership that openly framed federal employees as targets rather than partners.
Against that backdrop, removing 13 questions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) while adding a new item about firing “poor performers” signals a shift in what data leadership values. Cutting DEI metrics doesn’t erase the fact that, in past FEVS cycles, DEIA scores were broadly positive across government. It simply reduces transparency at a time when employees are already unsettled.
Protecting Your Voice
The loss of a government-wide survey does not silence you. Agencies remain legally obligated to ask for your feedback. Whether those surveys are anonymous, balanced, or meaningful may vary—but the requirement exists. Document what you receive, note whether you trust the process, and remember that your experience is part of the legal and historical record.
Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. While I am a federal employment attorney, this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is unique, and legal outcomes depend on specific facts and circumstances.
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