Attorneys for Federal Employees — Nationwide

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Today at a Glance

• OPM Consolidating Agency HR: The government is moving HR functions for federal agencies under one centralized roof — and it could affect how your personnel records, benefits, and separation paperwork get handled.
• Your RIF Appeal Rights Are at Risk: OPM wants to take over the independent appeals process for layoff decisions — meaning the same agency that directs the RIFs would also decide if they were legal.
• Retirement Tax Reality Check: If you recently retired — or were pushed out — you need to know how your pension, Social Security, and TSP are taxed before you file.

Top Stories:

1. OPM Is Building a Centralized HR Operation for Federal Agencies — Here Is What That Could Mean for You

Source: Federal News Network — March 17, 2026

TL;DR: OPM is rolling out a new centralized HR shared service center that would consolidate HR functions — including personnel actions, records management, and benefits processing — that are currently handled separately at each agency.

For federal employees, this means:

• The person who handles your SF-50, your leave records, and your benefits questions may no longer be someone at your agency. It may be a centralized OPM operation you have never dealt with before.
• Transitions like this create processing delays. If you have a time-sensitive personnel matter — a retirement application, a pending personnel action, a leave dispute — now is the time to get it in writing and documented.
• This consolidation is part of a broader administration push to shrink and centralize federal HR. That means fewer people handling more cases — which historically leads to longer wait times and more errors.

Legal Insight:
Changes to HR structure do not change your legal rights as a federal employee — but they can change how hard it is to exercise them. If your agency is transitioning to a shared service model, get the name and contact information for your new HR point of contact in writing. Make your own copies of every personnel document you can access — your SF-50, your performance appraisals, your benefits elections, your service computation date. Do not rely on the agency’s records being accurate or accessible during a transition. If you have a pending appeal or a time-sensitive matter and cannot get answers from HR, document every attempt you make to reach them. That record matters.

2. OPM Wants to Be the Judge of Its Own RIF Decisions — and Unions Are Sounding the Alarm

Source: FEDweek — March 17, 2026

TL;DR: OPM has proposed taking RIF and suitability appeals away from the independent MSPB and giving that authority to itself. If finalized, OPM would direct agencies to conduct layoffs and then decide whether those same layoffs were legal — with no independent check in between.

For federal employees, this means:

• Right now, if you are laid off through a RIF, you can appeal to the MSPB — an independent agency that does not answer to OPM or your former employer. That independence is the whole point.
• Under OPM’s proposal, that appeal would go to MSAC — a small internal OPM office that reports directly to the OPM director, the same official overseeing the RIF policies being challenged.
• This rule has not been finalized yet. Legal challenges are expected if it is. But the time to understand your current appeal rights is now — not after a final rule is published.

Legal Insight:
Under current law, federal employees separated through a RIF have the right to appeal to the MSPB under 5 U.S.C. § 7701. That appeal includes the right to a hearing, the right to be represented by counsel, and the right to take the case to federal court if the board rules against you. OPM’s proposed rule would strip most of that process and hand decision-making to an office with no track record of adjudicating these cases independently. If you are facing a RIF or have already received a separation notice, file your appeal under the current system and do not wait to see what happens with this proposed rule. Because deadlines can be short, consider talking with your union and a qualified federal employment attorney without delay.

3. If You Recently Retired — or Were Pushed Out — Here Is How Your Income Gets Taxed

Source: FEDweek — March 17, 2026

TL;DR: Thousands of federal employees are retiring earlier than planned right now. Many are about to get a tax surprise. Your pension, Social Security, and TSP withdrawals are each taxed differently — and together they can push you into a higher bracket than you expected.

For federal employees, this means:

• Your FERS annuity is generally taxable as ordinary income. A small portion — the part you paid in with after-tax dollars — can be excluded, but you have to calculate it correctly using the IRS Simplified Method.
• Traditional TSP withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income the year you receive them. Roth TSP qualified withdrawals are generally tax-free.
• If you received a large lump-sum back pay or delayed annuity payment, talk to a tax professional about which year that income counts — because it affects your tax bill more than most people realize.

Legal Insight:
The tax rules for federal retirement income are specific and easy to get wrong, especially if you separated involuntarily or received delayed payments in a different tax year than expected. Keep your OPM 1099-R and your SSA-1099 and verify that both are accurate before you file. If the amounts on those forms do not match what you received, contact OPM and SSA in writing and document the discrepancy. If you separated through a RIF or the Deferred Resignation Program and received a large lump-sum payment, the timing of that income matters for your tax return. Consider working with a tax professional who understands federal retirement income before filing.

Legal Tip of the Day

If You’re Asked to Attend an “Informal” Meeting

Sometimes a supervisor or HR may describe a meeting as “informal” or “just a conversation.” But these discussions can still be used later as part of a disciplinary record. The tone may feel casual, but the impact may not be. Take notes during or immediately after the meeting. Confirm key points in a follow-up email when appropriate. If questions feel investigative in nature, pause before answering and consider your rights. Our firm can help assess whether a situation is more serious than it appears.

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