Federal Employees Blindsided by the Sudden Closure of the Deferred Resignation Program

If you’re a federal employee like me, you know the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of uncertainty. And just when we thought we had time to plan, OPM pulled the rug out from under us.

On February 12, 2025, at exactly 6:58 PM ET, an email hit inboxes from [email protected] with the subject line: "The Fork in the Road is Closed." The message inside was worse than we could have imagined: "The Deferred Resignation Program is now closed. Any resignations received after 7:20 PM ET, February 12, 2025, will not be accepted." That gave us exactly 22 minutes to decide our futures.

Federal Employees Blindsided by the Sudden Closure of the Deferred Resignation Program For weeks, many of us had been carefully considering our options under the Deferred Resignation Program, which allowed federal employees to resign with benefits lasting until September 30. Some of us thought we had days, maybe even weeks, to finalize our decisions. Instead, with no warning, OPM slammed the door shut.

I’ll be honest—when I read that email, my stomach dropped. I had spent hours calculating my finances, talking with my family, and making contingency plans. When the program was paused due to legal challenges, I held my breath, waiting for an update. But when a judge lifted the freeze on February 12, I thought we’d at least have time to react. Instead, within minutes of that ruling, OPM gave us 22 minutes to act. (wsj.com)

I wasn’t the only one caught off guard. Some people scrambled to submit their resignations in time, while others—blindsided—missed the window completely. The lack of communication, transparency, and consideration for employees was nothing short of shocking.

If you’re feeling frustrated, lost, or just plain angry, you’re not alone. A lot of us are still trying to wrap our heads around how this was handled. This is exactly why I started this blog—to make sure no one has to navigate these chaotic changes alone.

If you need guidance, OPM has posted information about the program’s closure on their website. (opm.gov) But let’s be real—this wasn’t handled well, and we deserve better.

I’ll keep sharing resources, advice, and whatever updates come next. In the meantime, if you need to vent, strategize, or just not feel alone in this mess, I’m here. We’ll get through this together.