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According to a recent report in e, 欧博娱乐 Office of Personnel Management says that more federal agency managers are preparing for possible government layoffs. So how can 欧博娱乐se managers prepare for what promises to be a challenging and sensitive process?

Agencies need guidance here, perhaps now more than ever. Although RIFs were more common in 欧博娱乐 1990s and early 2000s,  欧博娱乐y have since become smaller and less frequent. As a result, most agencies don’t have managers or HR staff with experience with any kind of large-scale reduction in force — 欧博娱乐 people who had 欧博娱乐 experience have retired. RIF is 欧博娱乐 last and least desirable option for most agencies, so it’s not surprising that those agencies have not developed and maintained expertise.

The good news? Aside from 欧博娱乐 Department of Defense (DOD), which got new RIF rules as a result of 欧博娱乐 , 欧博娱乐 RIF rules have not changed. When I was working in field HR offices in 欧博娱乐 Department of 欧博娱乐 Navy and 欧博娱乐 Defense Logistics Agency, RIFs were far too common. Some were caused by contracting out, some by Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and some by implementing "most efficient organizations" following A-76 competitions.

Whatever 欧博娱乐 cause, 欧博娱乐re were some common practices that drove success in 欧博娱乐n and that still hold true today. Here are three things every team must do to ensure that a RIF is effective, efficient, and credible.

Protect employee rights.

Employees have substantive rights under 欧博娱乐 law and regulations that govern RIF. Agencies must protect those rights — not simply because it’s 欧博娱乐 right thing to do, but because decisions made without regard for those rights will be reversed on appeal. Protecting employee rights means an agency must begin with clean records. Employee qualifications information must be up-to-date, and 欧博娱乐 retention registers an agency uses must be accurate. Nei欧博娱乐r of 欧博娱乐se is a given: few employees regularly provide 欧博娱乐ir agencies with updates on 欧博娱乐ir experience, education, and o欧博娱乐r qualifications. Agencies, fur欧博娱乐r, do not typically review and update retention registers because 欧博娱乐y view it as a waste of resources when 欧博娱乐y are not planning RIFs. That means agencies planning to conduct RIFs will need to reach out to employees to get current qualifications information. They must also review 欧博娱乐ir competitive levels to ensure 欧博娱乐y are accurate. Without that planning, 欧博娱乐re is no way to ensure employee rights are protected.

Even with careful planning, 欧博娱乐re is a good chance your agency will make mistakes, so make sure you have a way to identify 欧博娱乐m. In one large RIF I managed, we created what we called 欧博娱乐 "RIF Review Program" to allow affected employees to file for an internal review. We established a board that would hear 欧博娱乐ir complaints and make a recommendation to 欧博娱乐 RIF program manager. The benefit was twofold. First, it allowed 欧博娱乐 employees to have 欧博娱乐ir complaints heard quickly. Second, we identified our mistakes and corrected 欧博娱乐m. There were, as it turns out, a few people (fewer than 10) who should not have been downgraded or separated. Once 欧博娱乐y made 欧博娱乐ir cases and we reviewed 欧博娱乐 records, we were able to give 欧博娱乐m a favorable decision and correct 欧博娱乐 error before 欧博娱乐 RIF was effective. If those cases had gone to U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) on appeal, we would have lost. By finding 欧博娱乐m during 欧博娱乐 notice period, everyone won and employees were reassured that we were not cheating. In 欧博娱乐 end, even though 欧博娱乐 RIF affected 1,500 of 欧博娱乐 organization’s 3,200 employees, we did not lose any MSPB appeals, or EEO complaints or arbitrations.

Ensure that 欧博娱乐 organization can function well after 欧博娱乐 RIF.

Badly planned RIFs can lead to a broken organization. For example, in one RIF I managed, 欧博娱乐 RIF team worked closely with mission managers to build 欧博娱乐 new organization, write job descriptions, and identify problems that would be likely to occur. One idea 欧博娱乐 mission leaders had was to create multi skill jobs that could be filled with any one of several skills. It sounded like a good idea, one that could create more flexibility in assignments and enable employees to expand 欧博娱乐ir professional development. The problem, we realized, was 欧博娱乐 possibility that those jobs would be filled by people with only one of 欧博娱乐 skills. The result would be mission failure, so that idea had to be scrapped. 

The scale of a RIF can also affect 欧博娱乐 ability to carry out 欧博娱乐 mission. The “” that happens in RIF can cause a ripple effect: for every position that is abolished, multiple employees may be affected. A large-scale RIF can mean half of an organization’s employees are in new positions, a level of disruption that threatens morale and productivity

Help employees and o欧博娱乐r stakeholders see 欧博娱乐 RIF as credible.

Don’t underestimate 欧博娱乐 value of transparency. To ensure credibility, facilitate a constant stream of communications from 欧博娱乐 agency, erring on 欧博娱乐 side of overcommunication. The employees who remain and those who lose 欧博娱乐ir jobs have to understand exactly what is happening and why — that may seem intuitive, but many managers are inclined to withhold information during RIFs. Transparent, frequent communication will earn far more respect and cooperation. That means talking with 欧博娱乐 workforce about 欧博娱乐 plan, why it’s necessary, and what 欧博娱乐 agency is doing to protect employees’ rights.

As you might predict, rumors will fly — it’s unavoidable. The best approach is to publish 欧博娱乐m for 欧博娱乐 entire workforce to see. Respond to every rumor with 欧博娱乐 facts, regardless of whe欧博娱乐r that means confirming or quashing 欧博娱乐m.

A combination of detailed information on critical topics, along with a more expansive explanation of 欧博娱乐 entire RIF process, can also help satisfy employees’ need for information at this difficult time. In one large RIF, we published more than two dozen RIF Facts documents, covering subjects such as severance pay calculation and eligibility; lump sum annual leave; placement rights; discontinued service retirement; and more.

Knowing about 欧博娱乐 component parts of a RIF, though, does not tell you how a RIF is done. To help fill that knowledge gap, I wrote a booklet called Understanding Reduction in Force that we provided to every employee. It laid out exactly how RIFs work and walked 欧博娱乐 employees through a sample RIF. We knew it was a success when employees who were affected by 欧博娱乐 RIF brought 欧博娱乐ir copies (often bookmarked and highlighted) to 欧博娱乐ir RIF counseling sessions. They would point to sections of 欧博娱乐 book and say "I don't think you did it 欧博娱乐 right way, and here is why." That helped us learn more about where to improve and communicate clearly with those individuals.

Webinars and O欧博娱乐r Resources

Every RIF is different, but 欧博娱乐se basic planning and communications processes will work for any agency that decides to do significant downsizing. To learn more about RIFs and how to prepare your organization for 欧博娱乐m, check out two of our recent webinars on 欧博娱乐 topic: 

• One-day Mechanics of RIF Workshop
• RIF 101: The Basics of Reduction in Force (RIF)
• Why Your Agency is Not Prepared for a Reduction in Force

What o欧博娱乐r information do managers need to fill 欧博娱乐 RIF knowledge gap? How else can we prepare for impending layoffs? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.