White House “mass layoff” planning and the shutdown
Here’s what’s real and what it means, fast: The White House’s budget office (OMB) sent agencies guidance to map out “mass layoff” (RIF) scenarios if there’s a shutdown—a sharp break from the usual playbook of temporary furloughs during lapses in funding. Independent outlets say they’ve seen the memo and describe it as instructing agencies to be ready to issue RIF notices tied to programs that would lack FY2026 appropriations; unions and many career officials are pushing back, and some agencies are telling staff the threat may be impractical on the short timeline.
Key nuance: Furloughs start quickly in a shutdown; RIFs (layoffs) require legal steps (notice periods, retention “bump/retreat” rules, OPM oversight) and can’t be executed overnight, so the memo is best read as pressure and contingency planning—not an immediate pink-slip wave at 12:01 a.m. OPM’s standing guidance for shutdowns still centers on furloughs, and DoD’s contingency PDF echoes that sequence (orderly shutdown → furloughs for non-excepted staff).
Bottom line: Agencies are updating shutdown plans now; if Congress misses the Sept. 30 deadline, many workers could be furloughed first while RIF plans sit in reserve. Expect litigation and political scrutiny if agencies try to convert a funding lapse into permanent headcount cuts.
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@1TheBrutalTruth1 Sept 2025 Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research.
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