Dear Members,
We are reaching out to ask for your support in protecting the integrity of the federal civil service and our ability to effectively serve the public.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has recently introduced three proposed rules that could significantly weaken longstanding civil service protections. These changes may undermine the stability and independence that federal employees rely on to perform their duties with professionalism and integrity.

1. The Suitability Appeals Rule
   This proposal would broaden management's authority to remove or discipline federal employees using loosely defined "suitability" criteria. Because these standards can be interpreted broadly, there is concern that they could be applied inconsistently or without sufficient safeguards.
2. The RIF Appeal Rule
   The proposed rule would limit employees' ability to challenge layoffs and reductions-in-force. By narrowing the appeal process, the rule could make it easier for agencies to remove experienced public servants without adequate oversight.
3. The Performance Appraisal Rule for General Schedule, Prevailing Rate, and Certain Other Employees
   While this proposal includes several updates to existing regulations, two of the most concerning changes are the removal of employees' ability to grieve performance ratings and the elimination of mandatory second-level reviews for Level 1 ratings. An overview of these proposed changes was recently covered in a FEDweek article.

See Attached for additional information.