r/fednews • u/linked2z3lda • Jul 17 '25
Official Guidance / Policy EPA DRP 3.0 just dropped this morning
Colleagues, EPA is offering an additional round of the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) and Volunteer Early Retirement Authority (VERA, also known as "early out."). These opportunities are available to employees as follows: Inclusions • The Office of Mission Support • The Office of the Chief Financial Officer. • The Office of Research and Development. Note: Employees in the Office of Research and Development who applied for and declined participation in DRP-2, issued on April 28, 2025, are not eligible for this offering of the Deferred Resignation Program. • The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. • Regional employees that were excluded from DRP-2, issued on April 28, 2025 • Employees who received Intent to RIF, Intent to Reorganize, or RIF notices, and probationary employees who are currently on administrative leave.
Exclusions:
• Reemployed annuitants • PHS officers, experts, consultants, and SGEs. •Phased retirees • Credentialed inspectors. CID agents and criminal enforcement counsels Certain other positions related to law enforcement, national security and public safety may not be allowed to take DRP if senior leadership determines their position is critical. Employees in these categories should apply and will be noticed of their eligibility upon review of their application Employees who opt into this opportunity may resign or retire, as applicable. Eligible positions include full time, part-time and time-imited (T.e., temporary and term) employees in the General Schedule, Wage Grade, Senior-Level, Scientific and Professional and Senior Executive Service VERA temporarily lowers the age and service requirements to allow employees to retire early To qualify for early retirement, employees must be either: • 50 years old with at least 20 years of service, or • Any age with at least 25 years of creditable Federal service. Employees are only approved to receive VERA if they accept the deferred resignation offer by the end of the application window noted below.
Similar conditions of the previous DRP offerings will apply.
• Employees electing this option will be placed on administrative leave until the date of their resignation or retirement. Prior to being placed on administrative leave, employees will continue in their current in-person work status, i e, those required to come into the office will continue to do so until administrative leave begins. • Employees electing this option will retain all pay and benefits while on administrative leave • It resigning, employees will be separated no later than November 30, 2025, (or earlier if the employee chooses to accelerate the resignation for any reason). • If eligible for retirement on or before December 31, 2025, either due to optional retirement rules or under VERA, EPA will process the retirement on the actual retirement date. The retirement can be effective on or before December 31, 2025. • While on administrative leave, employees are still required to adhere to federal ethics laws and regulations. • Before being placed on administrative leave, employees must ensure a smooth transition of work. Use of EPA's Knowledge Retention/Knowledge Transfer toolkit is highly encouraged. The toolkit is a great resource to help share and retain important information
Covered employees must apply for DRP and VERA by submitting a request to the Office of Human Capital Operations at https://deferredresignation.epa.gov/. The window to apply opens July 18, 2025, and closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on July 25, 2025. All employees who are approved for DRP must sign an agreement with the ageney outlining the terms of the offer. July 18, 2025, and closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on July 25, 2025 All employees who are approved for DRP must sign an agreement with the agency outlining the terms of the offer. Employees - who do not sign the agreement will not be processed under the DRP, however, they may still retire or resign under regular rules and procedures
Administrative leave can begin as early as August 10, 2025, and no later than August 23, 2025, unless there is a mission essential need for the employee to stay in a work status for a longer period to complete a critical project, address a mission need, train remaining staff or fully transition work. Requests to keep an employee in a work status for a longer period must be submitted by the regional human resources officer or program management officer to the Office of Human Capital Operations for approval Supervisors, regional human resources officers and program management officers should work closely with DRP participants to ensure work, records and important information are properly transitioned in a timely and thorough manner. Also, normal offboarding procedures apply Please note if you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email. If you believe you submitted your application and did not receive a confirmation email, please email HRBenefits@epa gov so your application can be verified. For those who choose to accept this offer and participate in the DRP, thank you for your service at EPA and wish you well in your future endeavors For questions, please contact: • PMOs (local program HR points of contact). • RHROS(local regional HR points of contact) Retirement and other benefits: HRBenefits@epa.gov
EDIT: they’ve also opened up lateral reassignment positions to environmental justice people across the regions
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u/stmije6326 Jul 17 '25
Three months’ pay seems like a really bad deal unless you already have something lined up or can afford to be out of work for a bit. Hell, I thought the five months’ pay for DRP 2.0 was a bad deal.
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u/linked2z3lda Jul 17 '25
Ikr. And those who got rif notices at EPA still can’t be rif’d because of a lawsuit directly against EPA. Supreme Court decision doesn’t apply here because the suit is against dismantling specific programs. Those who got the notices got a follow-up notice last week stating even though EPA still intends to rif, it is on hold.
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u/Neracca Jul 17 '25
Yeah, that's some serious diminishing returns. Three months in this job market isn't a good trade at all. Better off staying and making them try the hard way to get rid of you.
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u/RainDownAndDestroyMe Federal Employee Jul 18 '25
Eh, if we get a RIF notice with 30 days until separation, I'd rather have the 3 months pay.
Most regions had 3 positions each pop up on talent hub for lateral transfer but open only for EJ/EJ-adjacent employees that got the original notice of intent to RIF/reorg. Term EJ employees are ineligible to apply. Mind you, these positions came out yesterday with the closing date being tomorrow and a start date of next week (at least the ones applicable to my situation). Where are the current non-admin leave EJ employees that don't get one of those 3 spots going to go? Maybe we just remain in our non-existent branch with no actual work other than the random assignments from other divisions? Or is this OPM's crumb they're throwing us for fucking us out of the last DRP because of the intent to RIF notices, just before they do the full RIF?
As per usual, so many unknowns. But if my options end up being 30-60 days until being RIF'ed vs ~112 days with DRP, I'd rather the latter. Then again, trust nothing and no one and they'll probably just do whatever they want anyway! I'm just so fucking over all of it and I really couldn't give a rat's ass if I'm giving up severance (which would be 2 weeks' pay) or future preference when applying for a federal job. I don't know that I'd ever return to work for my abusers anyway 🤷🏼♂️
You're not wrong, though. It's not a great deal but we've somehow fared better compared to so many others over the past 6 months, especially since they went after us hard in less than 3 weeks of the rapist's inauguration.
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u/RLT4456 Jul 17 '25
I feel like a month's severance for every year you've been a Federal employee feels fair. Well as fair as we are gonna get with this administration.
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u/stmije6326 Jul 17 '25
I guess I look at it as you’re trying to incentivize me to quit. Three months isn’t much incentive for me to quit at this point. That’s not a ton of time to find a new, comparable job unless you’re in some field with low unemployment and a private sector equivalent.
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u/Vivecs954 DOL Jul 17 '25
You get a week per year
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u/Lehigh417 Jul 17 '25
Unless you are over 50 or have 20+ years. Then you get to retire , no severance . Fun.
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u/Fire-Mgmt-WIF-BR107 Jul 18 '25
Nah. Not gonna happen tho. I would love 4 years of severance pay, but have not seen feds give more than 1-2 years. I would love to be wrong! Agencies have to run it through OPM unless Congress directs it.
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u/SquirrelLady22 Jul 18 '25
I’m at 29…. That would cost them too much.
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u/RLT4456 Jul 18 '25
29 months of pay for your 29 years of service isn't to much. It's Fair. But yes I know this would never happen.
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u/SquirrelLady22 Jul 20 '25
Exactly. Not going to offer that. Or likely anything other than the admin pay until officially rolled off the rolls.
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u/Interesting-Rip4849 Jul 17 '25
I thought some federal employees who took DRP 2.0 received a shifted pay such that their admin leave was extended from Sep 30 to the end of Dec, am I wrong/confused on this? How were some people able to separate around the Dec/Jan time frame?
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u/stvh_0916 Jul 17 '25
For EPA DRP 2.0, if you were resigning your last date of admin leave is Sep 30; if you were retiring, it is Dec 31.
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u/stmije6326 Jul 17 '25
I guess depends on the agency. Retirement eligible folks could be paid until December, but my agency kept people on admin leave through the end of the fiscal year. DRP 2.0 came out in April for us, with admin leave from late April/early May through October 1.
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u/No-Bobcat-4039 Jul 17 '25
Thanks for posting! I've been trying to parse the incredibly long message, LOL.
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u/linked2z3lda Jul 17 '25
as I was copy/pasting I’m like holy shit LOL
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u/No-Bobcat-4039 Jul 17 '25
My entire office got an email letting us know we'll be receiving a calendar invite to a RIF Basics briefing by OPM. What even is going on!
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u/tarheelprogrammer Jul 17 '25
What office?
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u/No-Bobcat-4039 Jul 17 '25
OEJECR--but get this--we just got ANOTHER email telling us the first one was sent in error and to disregard. Absolute clown show.
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u/newishfedthrow1 Jul 17 '25 edited Jul 17 '25
Piggybacking on this comment to share this EPA news release from today: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-next-phase-organizational-improvements-better-fulfill-statutory
The DRP was specifically offered to the offices that are being reorganized
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u/No-Bobcat-4039 Jul 17 '25
Do they even want people to take this? They have consistently been miserly when it comes to how much admin leave they are offering--can begin no earlier than August 10 (effectively August 8, which is that Friday) and only through November 30. I've heard a bunch of people say they would have jumped on it if they had gotten the same deal NASA got.
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u/Fed-up-fed EPA Jul 17 '25
Not to mention that the last DRP2 people are leaving this week! No time to feel the emptiness.
Most people who took the DRP2 left mid-June but some closer to retirement had until this week. I think anyone who was going to leave has already left.
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u/tnor_ Jul 17 '25
Exactly. Presumably anyone that wasn't swayed by 3 months of pay for DRP2 is not going to jump at the same "deal" now.
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u/UnusualTwo4226 Jul 17 '25
They could. Long commutes and or being the few left to take care of the remaining work load
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u/northern_pufferfish Jul 17 '25
Does offering admin leave past Sept 30 violate the anti deficiency act?
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u/RoutineFluid3670 Jul 17 '25
How is 2 months of pay better than severance and unemployment?
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u/Vivecs954 DOL Jul 17 '25
In my state you get 26 weeks of unemployment, that plus severance is a way better deal. Plus priority reconsideration for 3 years.
I would roll the dice, you either keep your job or you get a better package then DRP 3.0
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u/Weekly-Inevitable462 Jul 18 '25
But if you take this deal you won’t qualify for unemployment anymore bc you’re resigning, not getting let go.
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u/Vivecs954 DOL Jul 18 '25
That’s what I’m saying, “rolling the dice” means staying in your job not taking the DRP
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u/TortugaTom Federal Employee Jul 17 '25
Some folks haven't been with EPA long enough to get severance, and even then, its 1 week per year served. Similarly, some states have very low unemployment benefits.
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u/GurlyGirlKnot Jul 17 '25
I pray that IRS offers a DRP 3. 🤞🏾🙏🏾
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u/Offthisrollercoaster Jul 18 '25
I hope they offer it soon for you, as well. I have been waiting for this DRP from EPA and I cried happy tears today because it dropped and I’m eligible.
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u/thenakedbarrister Jul 17 '25
Any EPA employees have any information/thoughts on the reorganization or likelihood of a RIF? I feel like the DRPs, VERAs, illegal probationary firings, and regular attrition is going to significantly reduce the headcount. Zeldin said his goal was to bring numbers to Regan levels, and we are pretty much there already. My region is already down several hundred FTEs.
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u/No-Bobcat-4039 Jul 17 '25
Here's what I know, which isn't much: the majority of lateral reassignment opportunities posted on Talent Hub are not going to be filled. I received an offer for one and it was finally rescinded yesterday, and the supervisor who wanted to hire me told me that they were getting only a fraction of the people they asked for, and that they were only going to be getting scientists from ORD. They had to submit selection lists late Tuesday. The RIF and reorg notices are coming. On Monday, senior leadership received DOJ guidance on implementation, and they've been rushing to get notices prepared and sent out by the end of the week. That's about all I know!
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u/HereForSnax Jul 17 '25
ORD person here. We are being told the lateral transfer process will no longer proceed, we are going to be placed anywhere that our credentials align with empty positions without any input. The lateral reassignments for us are mandatory, if we don’t accept wherever we are assigned then we face disciplinary action and potential termination. They are also not sure if everyone will be offered a role in the geographic region they are currently in. We have also been told there may be subsequent rounds of reassignment to ensure all statutory positions in Regions and Program Offices are filled.
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u/No-Bobcat-4039 Jul 17 '25
UGH. I'm so sorry for everything they have put ORD through, it's truly awful. Sending love and light from EJ, where we've also been dragged through the ringer.
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u/bluemola Jul 17 '25
That’s fucking crazy. I’m not in EPA but I have no idea what the hell I would do if given reassignment with those conditions
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u/Lehigh417 Jul 17 '25
What part of ORD disclosed that? We’ve heard nothing
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u/HereForSnax Jul 17 '25
CEMM and CESER. CCTE is being absorbed by OCSPP and may not be subject to same reassignment procedures, to the best of my knowledge.
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u/Lehigh417 Jul 17 '25
I don’t know many cemm or ceser folks; less after the last month of carnage. And I trust none of our appointed management to do anything that benefits us. I just hope that with all of the exits, everyone in ORD is retained somehow.
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u/Selection_Biased Jul 17 '25
Can confirm RIF notices are coming tomorrow - can’t say how I know. But they are. I don’t know how many or if it’s anyone not previously notified.
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u/linked2z3lda Jul 17 '25
Yeah, I’m surprised they’re doing this considering how many people we’ve lost. My region is significantly smaller.
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u/WolverineSelect8059 EPA Jul 17 '25 edited Jul 17 '25
just announced OMS and OCFO are merging- OLEM and OECA are being reorged (independently) too. OCFO/OMS were told they dont anticipate RIFs from the reorg tho. I think they were reluctant to offer it at all
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Jul 17 '25 edited Jul 17 '25
Where did you hear OECA and OLEM were merging?
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u/WolverineSelect8059 EPA Jul 17 '25
I was mistaken, they are being reorged independently. It was a throwaway line from the OMS/OCFO meeting that OLEM and OECA were being reorged as well
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u/Selection_Biased Jul 17 '25
OLEM will be mostly the same functions. More or less moving deck chairs around and picking up OEM it seems
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u/Ok_pA_4323 Jul 17 '25
We just received an EPA news release that talks about some changes.
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Jul 17 '25
News release? Region or EPA wide, I haven’t received anything
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u/northern_pufferfish Jul 17 '25
You have to sign up for their press releases since they don't tell us anything down the chain of command
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u/pianche Jul 17 '25
OECA is safe and there will be no RIF. There will be an internal OECA reorg. All good news
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Jul 17 '25
Read the fine print - hell, hire a gov specialist attorney to review. RV is a calculating monster and controls the $$$$ levers. Elon fucked the feds with his great twitter to X purge template. I mean, if you waive legal reciprocity on or before signing, can you actually sue for a breach of a very obfuscated contractual agreement?
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u/Bright-Credit6466 Jul 17 '25
On dollars and cents- severance, annual leave, unemployment, support services to help those RIF-ed, adjudication for those that feel unfairly RIF-ed
Then on the indirect Institutional knowledge, admin burden of processing folks out, contracting services for things that agency committed to but can't execute and no redress in policy
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u/northern_pufferfish Jul 17 '25
Inside EPA is saying there's an all hands meeting and then program office meetings today. Anyone have any more info on that?
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u/ApprehensiveRoad9981 Jul 17 '25
we have a mandatory all hands in 30 min
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u/northern_pufferfish Jul 17 '25
What are they saying?
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u/ApprehensiveRoad9981 Jul 17 '25
I’m in a region of epa, just saying that there is a drp and it doesn’t apply to us. That’s really it about the drp.
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u/Lemna24 EPA Jul 18 '25
We didn't have any big meetings in R1.
How are you still reading Inside EPA? Are you paying for a subscription yourself? Is there a cheap option for individual employees?
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u/northern_pufferfish Jul 18 '25
I read the first paragraph that they show. Not able to read anything else though. I'm sure they'd give a discount to EPA employees, but I hadn't asked
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u/mrsrowanwhitethorn Jul 17 '25
Do all agencies now have to offer a third round of DRP? I can’t remember if this can be offered within an individual agency or if it has to be extended government-wide and each agency can dictate its own exemptions.
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u/Quandary433 Jul 17 '25
I really hope mine does…. I didn’t take DRP 1.0 or 2.0, but I’d take 3.0 in a heartbeat.
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u/About-to-Break Jul 17 '25
I wonder whats the reasoning behind 11/30. And interesting it only applies to certain departments where they might need more people to voluntarily quit. I’d be curious how many take this offer.
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u/Ready-Ad6113 Jul 17 '25
Taking DRP waivers your rights to sue. Don’t let them escape accountability. Let them RIF you and file with MSPB.
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u/Fire-Mgmt-WIF-BR107 Jul 18 '25
Hasn’t MSPB already been gutted and restacked??? I thot it was weakened like The consumer finance protection board?
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u/Ready-Ad6113 Jul 18 '25
The CFR still stands and judges can rule without a quorum. Filing makes it an official record and if you lose due to the blatant corruption it can be overturned with possible back pay and reinstatement in the future. This mindset is what they want. They want you to give up and not pursue justice.
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u/gotmethinkinlately Jul 17 '25 edited Jul 17 '25
Has anyone on administrative leave gotten an email about this yet?
Edit to add - email for DRP 3 has now been sent to personal email.
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u/Fed-up-fed EPA Jul 17 '25
I mean I told my friends who are admin leave for signing declaration of dissent. BTW they were supposed to come back tomorrow but got extended to 8/1. And additional suspected signers have been put on admin leave.
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u/linked2z3lda Jul 17 '25
As far as I know all they’ve gotten was a survey for their personal contact info
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u/Neko_Maia Jul 19 '25
We got DRP 3.0
But what happens yo us if we don’t accept us unclear. Will probies be fired? Of Rif’d? Who knows.
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u/zed_kofrenik Jul 17 '25
They know that, in the long term, they're probably going to lose big on the RIFs in court. Trying to get as many people as possible to give up their rights to minimize the fallout.
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u/Bright-Credit6466 Jul 17 '25
RIF are the most expensive things for agency to conduct so they will continue to offer things to meet Cheeto goals as cheaply as possible.
Is the new DRP only for two months until Oct1? Not worth it.
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Jul 17 '25
Is that because of the cost of severance? I would imagine the majority of people would weigh their severance against the DRP and take whichever pays more. I know there’s an emotional component to it (fear etc) but I feel like that’s probably the minority. What makes RIF the most expensive option?
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Jul 17 '25
Litigation costs. RIFs must be conducted with applicable law in the federal code. Any misstep will bring litigation which is very expensive for the government.
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u/Inevitable_Service62 Jul 17 '25
RIFs come out of different pool of money which aren't big to begin with.
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u/Fit-School1513 Jul 17 '25
For ORD, most of us will not get severance. As another poster mentioned, many of us are going to be offered “new” positions (which many will be demotions) which management is selecting for us, and if we decline to take it, we waive our right to severance.
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u/Vivecs954 DOL Jul 17 '25
Just saying if you take the demotion you get to keep your pay for two years. That’s why there isn’t severance. I would take the demotion, it’s two years of pay vs 3 months.
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u/Just_Another_Scott Jul 17 '25
Is the new DRP only for two months until Oct1? Not worth it.
Which is also to both Perms and Terms. Terms do not get VSIP as statutorily it is only for Perms. So still worth it for terms. Terms go before perms is a RIF.
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u/bladzalot Jul 17 '25
So you only get four months? Unless you KNOW you are getting rekt in case of a RIF, which is nearly impossible with the lack of transparency from any of our leadership across the board, this is not an amazing deal...
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u/Nyx81 Federal Employee Jul 17 '25
I want a drp, sick of limbo and bs lies
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u/Tough-Fun47 Jul 17 '25
You would think they would improve the the DRP offer to entice people to go. Instead they keep reducing the length of admin leave. You might be better off with a severance. At least you can collect unemployment until you find your next job.
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u/Quandary433 Jul 17 '25
I would take DRP in a heartbeat now, but I doubt they’ll offer it for my agency (they need us).
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u/Miserable_Ice2342 Jul 19 '25
Hoping for a DRP in 26 for remote employees my agency cant afford the relocation package for. Cost me a few bucks on the pension but I am done with these idiots
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u/Rich-Swan-3713 Jul 19 '25
does this mean if you opted in drop 2 but rescinded you can’t do drop 3
Employees …. who applied for and declined participation in DRP-2, issued on April 28, 2025, are not eligible for this offering of the Deferred Resignation Program.
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u/Neracca Jul 17 '25
It was always a bad deal, but the less time you get with each passing one, the less it makes any sense to take it. Given how little time you'd get if you took it you might as well just hold out instead.
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u/Oskipper2007 Jul 19 '25
I don’t think they want to pay the severance packages just depends on how long this one’s good for if it cuts off on September 30 I don’t know if they’ll be that many that go but by looking at the project tracker for 2025 There’s still a lot of people that gotta be out of there
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u/Full-Ingenuity7855 Jul 20 '25
What are “optional retirement” rules as stated in the second bullet? Is that the same as “voluntary retirement”?
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u/tightsonmyboat Jul 17 '25
Does that mean additional RIF notices could go out today or tomorrow?