OPM Reopened Public Comment Period on Firing Rules
The federal agency extended the feedback window for proposed changes to employee discipline and removal processes.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Human Resources
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The Office of Personnel Management has reopened a public comment period regarding proposed regulations for federal employee firing and disciplinary actions. This two-week extension follows a recent notice published in the Federal Register.
Why it matters
The agency aims to better incentivize supervisors to address misconduct and performance issues. Officials reported that termination rates have remained flat despite previous regulatory attempts to streamline the process.
The federal government recorded 3,492 employee terminations in fiscal 2025, compared to 3,105 separations reported through June 2026. The agency is now accepting additional feedback for a two-week period.
The players
Office of Personnel Management
This federal agency serves as the chief human resources department for the United States government.
Merit Systems Protection Board
This independent quasi-judicial agency protects the integrity of the federal merit system and federal employees.
We the Doers
This organization tracks and analyzes government administrative processes and federal workforce management.
The details
The proposed regulations would alter standard procedures for removals, grade reductions, and non-disciplinary separations across the federal workforce. The Merit Systems Protection Board previously finalized its own portion of these proposed regulatory updates in September 2026.
Timeline
Fiscal 2025 saw 3,492 federal employee terminations.
As of June 2026, 3,105 federal employee terminations had been recorded.
On August 27, 2026, the organization We the Doers published a report on federal firing processes.
The Office of Personnel Management issued a Federal Register notice on September 15, 2026.
Additional public comments are due by September 29, 2026.
Market Landscape
The OPM action follows the regulatory groundwork established by the Merit Systems Protection Board's September 2026 finalization. This effort reflects a broader trend toward standardizing discipline protocols across federal agencies to manage workforce quality.
These proposed changes will directly impact federal employees by potentially altering how disciplinary actions and performance-based removals are handled. Applicants and current staff should monitor how these rules influence workplace stability and accountability standards.
The takeaway
The agency's decision to extend the comment period highlights the complexity of balancing workforce protections with the goal of increasing supervisor accountability. Citizens and stakeholders have until the end of September to weigh in on these procedural shifts.
What happens next
The public comment period for the proposed federal firing regulations closes on September 29, 2026, after which the agency will review the submitted feedback.
Further reading
For more on federal workforce management, visit the Human Resources section.
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