Millions of federal workers have more time to ponder their next career move after a judge on Thursday temporarily suspended the Office of Personnel Management's deadline for them to accept or reject the agency's "deferred resignation" offer.
The cutoff to take the deal had been set to expire at on Thursday at midnight Eastern time before the ruling from U.S. District Judge George O'Toole barred the OPM from implementing the deadline. A Justice Department lawyer said the agency, which sent the original offer, would notify government employees that the deadline is paused pending further legal proceedings.
"In compliance with the court order, the deadline for federal employees to accept the deferred resignation program is being extended to Monday, Feb. 10, at 11:59 p.m. EST," the OPM said in a social media post. "The program is NOT being blocked or canceled. The government will honor the deferred resignation offer."
Under the OPM's offer, employees who accepted it would continue getting paid through September but would be excused from reporting for workers. But if they opted to keep their jobs, they could get fired.
That decision, one affecting the careers and livelihoods of 2.3 million civilian federal employees, is a fraught one, employment attorneys and government watchdogs said. In part, that's because the offer includes a number of provisions that are unclear and not guaranteed, posing financial and professional risks while leaving workers in danger of not getting what...
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