Crowd flocks to second round of 'delayed resignation' deal, yet some encounter unexpected feedbacks from employers

The Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) has become a hot topic in the federal workforce, with several agencies offering the extended paid leave option to their employees.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) reopened the DRP for a second round in January, and it seems that many are taking advantage of the opportunity. According to reports, more than 3,500 employees have accepted the offer at the U.S. Forest Service alone in the second DRP window. At the Agriculture Department, over 16,000 employees have taken the offer in the two windows combined, representing about 16% of the USDA's workforce as of late 2024.

The USDA has implemented a heavy pressure campaign to motivate employees to accept the extended paid leave offer. One USDA employee described receiving an email barrage as being "peppered like hot wings before grilling." Employees across the USDA had until April 8 to opt into the DRP 2.0, but the search results do not contain information about which authority decided that employees who accepted the second offer of the DRP must continue working until a certain date in May instead of leaving on April 19.

The SBA has announced it will cut 43% from its workforce of 6,500 employees, and employees who accepted the DRP at the SBA are now required to work until a date in May, instead of the original April 19. The delay is reportedly due to human resources failing to sign off on the agreements, making them invalid.

The Interior Department, Treasury Department, Veterans Affairs Department, General Services Administration, and SBA have joined the USDA in offering DRP 2.0. A copy of one such agreement includes the signature of John Serpa, SBA's new chief human capital officer.

Employees at other agencies, particularly those affected by upcoming consolidations, are similarly expecting significant buy-in for the DRP offers. The USDA has a stated goal of being transparent about plans to optimize and reduce its workforce, but the expected "historic brain drain" due to high DRP acceptance may pose challenges.

A spokesperson for the USDA said the department's work would not be compromised under President Trump's leadership. However, the widespread layoffs expected shortly at the USDA, followed by relocations into new hubs around the country, could potentially disrupt operations.

The Trump administration initially created the DRP for nearly all of the federal workforce in January. SBA has not responded to an inquiry asking to explain the discrepancy in the DRP requirements across different agencies.

As the DRP continues to be a popular option for federal employees, it remains to be seen how this mass exodus will impact the operations and effectiveness of the affected agencies.