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Furlough Guidance

 

Overview

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has prepared human resources guidance for agencies and employees in the event of furloughs. There are two types of furloughs -

An administrative furlough is a planned event by an agency which is designed to absorb reductions necessitated by downsizing, reduced funding, lack of work, or any budget situation other than a lapse in appropriations. Furloughs that would potentially result from sequestration would generally be considered administrative furloughs. 

A shutdown furlough (also called an emergency furlough) occurs when there is a lapse in appropriations, and can occur at the beginning of a fiscal year, if no funds have been appropriated for that year, or upon expiration of a continuing resolution, if a new continuing resolution or appropriations law is not passed. In a shutdown furlough, an affected agency would have to shut down any activities funded by annual appropriations that are not excepted by law. Typically, an agency will have very little to no lead time to plan and implement a shutdown furlough.

Shutdown Furlough

This page provides information on shutdown furloughs.  This guidance applies to activities that are funded by annual appropriations. Some agency functions have alternative funding sources and, as a result, are not directly affected by a lapse in annual appropriations. Employees performing those functions will generally continue to be governed by the normal pay, leave, and other civil service rules. Agencies should consult with their legal counsel if they have further questions concerning this distinction. Employees should consult with their human resources office.

OPM Guidance

OMB Guidance

Historical Shutdown Furlough Guidance

Note:

The following guidance is applicable to the lapse in appropriations that occurred in October 2013 and December 2018-January 2019. This historical guidance is posted for reference purposes only.

Administrative Furlough

An administrative furlough is a planned event by an agency which is designed to absorb reductions necessitated by downsizing, reduced funding, lack of work, or any budget situation other than a lapse in appropriations. Furloughs that would potentially result from sequestration would generally be considered administrative furloughs.

Contact Us

For further information on the procedural requirements for taking furlough actions and the rights and entitlements which accrue to employees in a furlough status, agency human resources specialists may contact the following OPM offices. (Please note that these contacts may not be available during a furlough that affects OPM.) Employees must contact their agency human resources office for information.

Contact Information by Topic

Documentation of Furlough Actions
202-606-4415*
persdoc@opm.gov
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Office of the Chief Information Officer
1900 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20415
Furloughing SES Appointees
202-606-8046
sespolicy@opm.gov
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
ES/SESPM/ERPM
1900 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20415
Furloughs Under 5 CFR Part 752 (Adverse Actions)
202-606-2930
awr@opm.gov
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Accountability and Workforce Relations, Employee Services
1900 E Street, NW Suite 7H28
Washington, DC 20415
Labor Relations
202-606-2930
awr@opm.gov
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Accountability and Workforce Relations, Employee Services
1900 E Street, NW Suite 7H28
Washington, DC 20415
Pay and Leave
202-606-2858
pay-leave-policy@opm.gov
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Pay and Leave, Employee Services
1900 E Street, NW Room 7H31
Washington, DC 20415
Performance Management
202-606-2720
performance-management@opm.gov
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
ES/SESPM/ERPM
1900 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20415
Reduction in Force, Details, and Outside Employment
202-606-0960
employ@opm.gov
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Employee Services
Recruitment and Hiring, Hiring Policy
1900 E Street, NW Room 6500
Washington, DC 20415
Retirement, Health Benefits, and Life Insurance
Contact the Retirement Counselor or Insurance Officer for your agency. (List of Agency Benefits Officers.) Benefits officers may contact OPM's Benefits Officers Training and Development at the appropriate phone number or email address below.

Benefits Officers Training and Development (Retirement Inquiries)

202-606-0788
benefits@opm.gov
1900 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20415
Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program
202-606-1413
fegli@opm.gov
1900 E Street NW, Room 3420
Washington, DC 20415
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
202-606-1234
fehb@opm.gov
1900 E Street, NW Room 3420
Washington, DC 20415
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program
202-606-1413
ltc@opm.gov
1900 E Street NW, Room 3420
Washington, DC 20415
Flexible Spending Accounts for Federal Employees
202-606-1413
fsa@opm.gov
1900 E Street NW, Room 3420
Washington, DC 20415
Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program
202-606-1413
fedvip@opm.gov (Claims Issues)
1900 E Street, NW Room 3420
Washington, DC 20415

* Hearing impaired users may utilize the Federal Relay Service by dialing 1-800-877-8339** to reach a Communications Assistant (CA). The CA will dial the requested number and relay the conversation between a standard (voice) telephone user and text telephone (TTY) user.

** Visiting the Federal Relay Service website will provide access to additional Toll-Free and Toll Access Numbers.

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