OPM Proposes Eliminating Outdated Time-in-Grade Rule

Washington, DC — The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) today proposed a rule to eliminate the federal government’s time-in-grade requirement, an outdated rule that forces many General Schedule federal employees to wait 52 weeks before becoming eligible for promotion.

The proposed rule would shift federal advancement away from time served and toward merit, performance, skills, and demonstrated readiness for higher-level work. Employees would still be required to meet OPM qualification standards and any additional job-related agency requirements.

“Federal employees should be rewarded for what they can do, not how long they have waited,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said. “This proposed rule strengthens merit, gives managers more flexibility to recognize high performers, and helps agencies move talented people into mission-critical roles faster.”

The time-in-grade restriction traces back to the Korean War-era Whitten Amendment, which expired in 1978. OPM has preliminarily concluded the rule is no longer necessary given modern qualification standards, merit system principles, prohibited personnel practices, and agency promotion requirements.

Eliminating time-in-grade would help agencies better compete for talent, retain high-performing employees, and ensure promotions are based on job-related qualifications and performance, not an arbitrary waiting period.

The proposed rule is consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service, and the administration’s broader effort to modernize federal hiring and advancement. Read the proposed rule here.