Prioritize performance over seniority and veterans’ preference order in RIFs
Mandate says a determined President should insist performance be first among RIF retention factors (currently tenure, veterans’ preference, seniority, then performance) and be wary of costly buyout RIFs.
Mandate
Mandate Ch. 3 (Central Personnel Agencies) — Reductions-in-Force: four factors protect employees—tenure, veterans’ preference, seniority, and performance in that order; Trump-era House bills to weight performance failed due to union/manager opposition; determined President should insist performance be first; be wary of costly RIF types and burrowing-in freezes on top career hiring.
Undo plan
1) Preserve statutory veterans’ preference and tenure protections in RIFs.
2) Oppose reordering that lets politicized ratings drive who keeps jobs.
3) Require RIF plans to document mission need and prohibit targeting protected activity.
4) Prefer function/budget cuts over headcount theater and expensive buyouts.
5) Verify: RIF appeal outcomes; demographic and preference impact analyses.