White House Deferred Resignation Program Closes After Judge’s Ruling

The White House’s “Deferred Resignation Program,” which offered federal employees the option to resign but continue receiving pay through September, closed Wednesday after a federal judge lifted a temporary pause, NBC News reports.

Some 75,000 federal employees accepted the offer, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

This number represents less than 5% of the total federal workforce, falling short of the administration’s initial expectation of 5% to 10% participation. The number of employees accepting the offer was first reported by Semafor.

According to the Partnership for Public Service, a non-profit organization, the federal workforce attrition rate was 5.9% in fiscal year 2023.

Earlier on Wednesday, US District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. dissolved a previous order that had temporarily halted the program. In his ruling, Judge O’Toole stated that the unions that filed a lawsuit to block the resignation offer lacked the legal standing to bring the case.

In response to the court’s decision, the Office of Personnel Management expressed its satisfaction.

“OPM is pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program,” OPM spokesperson McLaurine Pinover said in a statement.

“As of 7:00 PM tonight, the program is now closed,” Pinover continued. “There is no longer any doubt: the Deferred Resignation Program was both legal and a valuable option for federal employees. This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.”