Supplemental Information for Employees Involuntarily Separated or Reduced in Pay

You should check sites like the Employee Personal Page (EPP), Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), FSAFEDS, BENEFEDS, and Login.gov to see if the contact and login information you have is set up with your work or personal information. If it is set up with your work email and/or phone number, you should switch it to your personal email and phone number as soon as possible to ensure continued access.

Employees who leave the Federal service are not entitled to lump sum payments for any unused sick leave. However, if you are reemployed, the amount of previously accumulated unused sick leave may be restored to your account. 

Unused sick leave will be added to your total service if you are eligible for a retirement annuity at the time of separation. Any advanced sick leave remaining on an employee’s balance (in the negative) must be repaid to the agency. The repayment requirement does not apply if separation results from death or disability.

USGS provides an easy unused sick leave conversion chart here. You can find answers to leave FAQ’s here.

Any paid parental leave, disabled veteran leave, or parental bereavement leave balance remains to the employee’s credit upon separation during the employee’s 12-month eligibility period. If an employee is reemployed during this eligibility period, the balance is recredited. If an employee is not reemployed within this eligibility period, the balance is forfeited. Any unused balance will not be paid out as a lump-sum payment.

Any unused donated annual leave under the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) is returned to the leave donor(s) upon separation and, as such, will not be paid out as a lump-sum payment or recredited if the employee is later reemployed.

Any regular military leave balance under 5 USC 6323(a) is forfeited upon separation. If an employee is reemployed during the same or immediately succeeding fiscal year of the separation, the military leave amount to which the employee is entitled at the time of reemployment is recredited. Any unused military leave under 5 USC 6323(a) will not be paid out as a lump-sum payment.

Any unused credit hours (no more than 24 hours for full-time) are paid out upon separation at the employee’s current rate. Any unused compensatory time off is paid out upon separation at the overtime rate in effect when the hours were earned.

You can find answers to leave FAQ’s here. 

To file an unemployment claim, you will need to submit an SF-8 form to your local unemployment office. The SF-8 form can be found at https://www.gsa.gov/system/files/SF_8.pdf.  

Information you will need to complete the SF-8 form:

Department of Commerce (FIC 450)
C/O Equifax Workforce Solutions
PO Box 351567
Westminster, CO 80035
Contact name and phone number -     State Agency Response Center 866-675-3856

Benefit rights are typically determined by the state where you held your last official position in federal employment. To file a claim, contact your state employment service office or unemployment insurance claims office. You can find more information here:

• Maryland:
  • https://www.labor.maryland.gov/employment/clmtguide/uiucfeclaimantflyer.pdf
  • https://labor.maryland.gov/employment/new-filers.shtml
• Colorado: https://cdle.colorado.gov/unemployment/resources-for-federal-workers
• South Carolina: https://www.dew.sc.gov/individuals/applying-benefits 

For more information, please contact the employment office in the state where you worked. You can also find more information about Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) in this PDF that covers the unemployment process and steps. 

In general, an employee with a career or career-conditional appointment is eligible for severance pay upon involuntary separation if they have been continuously employed for at least 12 months under a full-time or part-time work schedule and are in a position with no time limitations. 

The following categories of employees are NOT eligible for severance pay:

• Political appointees, such as Presidential, Schedule C, or noncareer SES
• Employees who are eligible for an immediate annuity
• Employees who are separated for inefficiency (misconduct or unacceptable performance)
• Employees who decline a reasonable offer to include: a position of equal or greater tenure, same work schedule, and not lower than one pay band below their current pay band; or, an assignment to another commuting area when such relocation is a condition of employment
• Employees receiving injury compensation, unless the compensation is being received concurrently with pay
• Employees serving on time-limited (temporary or term) appointments, unless such an appointment took effect within 3 calendar days of the employee serving on a career or career-conditional appointment
• Employees working on an intermittent work schedule.
• Employees in a position for which the rate of basic pay is fixed at an Executive Schedule (EX) rate, or has a rate of basic pay in excess of the rate of pay for EX level I ($250,600 for 2025).

The computation of an employee’s severance pay fund consists of two parts: (1) basic severance pay allowance and (2) an age adjustment allowance, if applicable:

Basic Severance Pay Allowance:

• One week of basic pay for the position held at the time of separation for each year of creditable civilian service up to and including 10 years
• Two weeks of basic pay for the position held at the time of separation for each year of creditable civilian service beyond 10 years; and
• 25% of the applicable amount (one week’s basic pay if total service is less than 10 years and two weeks’ basic pay if total service is more than 10 years).

Age Adjustment Allowance:

• The basic severance pay allowance is increased by an age adjustment allowance of 2.5% of the basic severance pay allowance for each full quarter of a year (3 months) over 40 years of age.

An example of the severance pay computation and other details are available on the OPM website here. An unofficial severance pay estimation worksheet is also available here.

Only civilian service is eligible for severance pay. The only deductions taken from severance pay are taxes, social security (if applicable), and Medicare. The maximum amount of severance pay an employee can receive is limited to one year’s salary (52 weeks). This is a lifetime limit, so any severance you may have received in the past is considered when applying the limit. Severance pay terminates when the severance pay fund is exhausted.

If an employee is reemployed in a permanent position (either full-time or part-time) or qualifying time-limited appointment with the federal government or the District of Columbia, their severance pay will be immediately terminated. Once severance pay is stopped, it will not be reinstated if the employee leaves the new position.

If an employee is reemployed in the federal government on a temporary appointment after a break of more than three calendar days, their severance pay will be temporarily suspended. Once the temporary appointment ends, the remaining severance pay will be resumed by the agency. However, if an employee accepts a temporary appointment within three calendar days of separation and leaves that temporary job involuntarily (for example, if the appointment expires), they will be entitled to severance pay based on time spent in the temporary appointment as well as all other qualifying civilian service. Employment in the private sector does not affect severance pay eligibility.

If you are separated from service, you will be covered by the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program at no cost for 31 days. If you are separated and not eligible for an immediate annuity, you can convert all or part of your life insurance to an individual policy without undergoing a medical examination. You may purchase this individual policy from any eligible insurance company. This transaction will be private between you and the company, and you will be responsible for paying the entire premium for the conversion policy. It is important to complete the conversion within 31 days following your separation date.

If you are eligible for an immediate annuity, you may retain your life insurance (excluding the accidental death and dismemberment coverage) if you were covered for either: 

• The five years of service immediately preceding the start date of your annuity, or
• The full period(s) of service during which the life insurance was available to you, if that period was less than five years.

If you have been receiving health insurance but are not eligible for an immediate annuity, you can continue your health insurance coverage for free for 31 days from the end of the pay period in which you separate. After this period, you have the option to continue receiving benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) with Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC). However, continued coverage is not automatic; you must request it in writing within 60 days of your separation or within 60 days of receiving a notice from your agency that your FEHB coverage is terminating. You can find more information about this here. 

You will need to pay your share of the costs, the government's portion, and an additional 2 percent administrative fee. This amounts to a total of 102 percent of the coverage cost. This temporary extension of coverage lasts for a maximum of 18 months. Your dependents can carry this coverage for up to 36 months. You also have the option to convert to a private health insurance plan.

If your FEHB plan is an HDHP (high-deductible health plan) with an HSA (health savings account), the HSA is portable, and you can continue to contribute to the plan after separation.

Federal employees who meet certain conditions can continue their health benefits coverage after retirement. To continue FEHB coverage as a retiree, you generally must be retiring on an immediate annuity and must have been continuously enrolled (or covered as a family member) in any FEHB plan(s) for the five years immediately preceding the date your annuity begins, or for the full period of service since your first opportunity to enroll, if that period is less than five years.

Employees who separate and are eligible for a deferred annuity will not be allowed to reenroll in an FEHB plan when their deferred annuity begins. Employees must be eligible for an immediate annuity at retirement to be eligible to continue their health insurance coverage. 

If you are a separating employee covered under FERS and you qualify for an immediate annuity under the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) +10 years of service provision, you can continue your health insurance when your annuity starts, as long as you meet the requirements for continuing coverage. If you postpone receipt of your annuity, your health insurance enrollment will terminate when you separate from your employment.  You will be eligible for temporary continuation of coverage (TCC) or may convert to an individual contract.  You can then choose to resume FEHB coverage on the date you have selected for your annuity to begin.

Dental and vision insurance is administered through the BENEFEDS FEDVIP program. These benefits end immediately upon separation unless you are retiring. If you separate through retirement and are eligible for an immediate annuity and already enrolled in FEDVIP, you will need to reach out directly to BENEFEDS to let them know that you have retired.  BENEFEDS will bill you directly until OPM completes the adjudication process. Once complete, BENEFEDS will deduct the insurance premiums from your annuity. 

For questions regarding your payroll or annuity deductions, you can call BENEFEDS Customer Service at 1-877-888-FEDS.

If you have a Health Care FSA (HCFSA), Limited Expense Healthcare FSA (LEX HCFSA), or Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA) through FSAFEDS, you should know that the balances in these accounts are treated differently if you separate or retire before the end of a calendar year.

Your HCFSA or LEX HCFSA will terminate as of the date of your separation or retirement. There are no extensions. Any eligible health care expenses incurred prior to the date of separation will still be reimbursed, but those incurred after the separation date are not reimbursable, even if you accelerated your allotments. If you used your entire elected amount for the year before FSAFEDS has deducted it from your pay, you will not be responsible for the remaining allotments. You can find a list of healthcare FSA eligible expenses here. 

Your DCFSA remaining balance can be used to pay for eligible dependent care expenses until it is depleted or the end of the calendar year, whichever comes first. However, you may not take advantage of the grace period for your DCFSA unless you are actively employed and making allotments through December 31 of the benefit plan year.

Long-term care insurance is administered through the BENEFEDS FLTCIP program. If you currently pay your premiums through payroll deduction and retire, you will need to reach out directly to BENEFEDS to let them know that you have retired. BENEFEDS will bill you directly until OPM completes the adjudication process. Once complete, BENEFEDS will deduct the premiums from annuity. 

If you are not retiring but are separating from federal service, you can continue your long-term care insurance by continuing to pay the premiums on your own through automatic bank withdrawal (ABW) or direct bill. You can set this up online or by calling BENEFEDS at the phone number below.

For questions regarding your long-term care insurance and payments, you can call BENEFEDS Customer Service at 1-877-888-FEDS.

If your TSP account balance is $200 or more, you can keep it in the TSP account when you leave Federal service.

Once you leave Federal service, you’ll no longer be able to make employee contributions.  However, you can still change your investments options, transfer eligible money into your account, and take advantage of their low administration costs, all while your account continues to accrue earnings.

As you prepare to leave Federal service, here are three important things you must do with your TSP account:

1. Make sure TSP has your current address at all times
2. If you have any TSP loans, decide if you want to pay them off, keep them open and set up monthly payments, or allow them to be foreclosed and accept the outstanding balance and accrued interest as taxable income
3. Read the TSP booklets about Distributions and Tax Rules to fully understand your options and their consequences

When you separate from Federal service for more than 31 days, your options for your TSP account are:

• Leave the money in TSP
• Take TSP installment payments
• Take a partial or total distribution from your TSP
• Transfer your entire TSP account to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or other eligible retirement plan
• Use your TSP account to purchase a life annuity

You will be taxed for any funds paid directly to you from TSP. If you separate before the year you reach age 55, you will be charged a 10 percent penalty for early TSP withdrawal. The TSP web site, https://www.tsp.gov/taking-money-from-your-account/, provides more information and the appropriate forms to exercise withdrawal options. 

If you are a confidential financial disclosure report filer (OGE-450) you must notify the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) within 2 weeks of your departure by contacting OGEform450 [at] doc.gov (OGEform450[at]doc[dot]gov).

Please review the summary of ethics rules on seeking and post-government employment for important information on how ethics laws may affect your job search and post-Federal employment.

If you hold a non-critical sensitive, critical sensitive, or special sensitive position, you must be debriefed before departing, or as soon as possible if you are unable to do so prior to departing. To obtain a debriefing, please contact osyinfosec [at] nist.gov (osyinfosec[at]nist[dot]gov). 

If you are a career or career-conditional employee and have received a written RIF notice that you are to be separated from the service and you have not declined assignment to a non-temporary competitive service position at a rate of pay no lower than that of the position from which separated, your name will be entered on the Department of Commerce Reemployment Priority List (RPL). To be entered, you must submit an application to the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) through the contact identified in your separation notice on or before the RIF separation date.  An employee who fails to submit a timely application in not entitled to be placed on the RPL. You will receive priority consideration by the Department in filling vacancies in your present commuting area at any grade level for which you are qualified and have indicated a willingness to accept, which is at no higher grade level or promotion potential than the position from which you were separated, and which has the same type of work schedule as the position from which you were separated. If you have career tenure, you will remain on the RPL for two (2) years after the date of separation. If you have career-conditional tenure, you will remain on the list for one (1) year. You may be removed earlier for any of the following reasons:

• Your written request
• You accept a non-temporary appointment in the competitive service
• You decline an offer of a non-temporary appointment to a position in the competitive service in the commuting area and the position has a rate of pay no lower than that of the position from which separated

The CTAP and ICTAP are designed to actively assist the agency’s surplus and displaced employees in making effective transitions to other federal employment. See the following for additional information. Contact the Human Resources Specialist identified in your separation notice for more detailed information.

CTAP

Under the provisions of CTAP, a “displaced” employee is:

• a current career or career-conditional competitive service employee at grade level GS-15 or equivalent and below
• and who has received a specific reduction-in-force separation notice or notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area

A “surplus” employee is:

• a current career or career-conditional competitive service employee at grade level GS-15 or equivalent
• and who has received a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES) or other official agency certification indicating that their position is surplus or a letter saying they are eligible for discontinued service retirement

Eligibility for special selection priority begins on the date the agency issues to the employee a RIF separation notice, certificate of expected separation, notice of proposed separation for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area, or other official agency certification identifying the employee as being in a surplus organization or occupation.  Eligibility expires on the earliest of:

• the RIF separation date
• the date of the employee’s resignation, retirement, or other separation from the agency
• the date of separation for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function to another local commuting area
• the date of cancellation or rescission of the notice that made the employee eligible (such as RIF separation notice or certificate of expected separation)
• the employee moves to another position in the agency, time-limited or permanent, that is not affected by the RIF
• the employee receives a career, career-conditional, or excepted service position without time limit in any agency
• or the employee is no longer being separated by RIF 

To be eligible for special selection priority, an individual must meet all the following conditions:

• Is a surplus or displaced employee (still on the agency’s rolls)
• Has a current performance rating of record of at least “fully successful” or equivalent
• Applies for a vacancy that is at or below the grade level from which the employee may be or is being separated, that does not have a greater promotion potential than the position from which the employee may be or is being separated
• Occupies a position in the same local commuting area of the vacancy, or at the agency’s discretion, occupies a position beyond the local commuting area
• Files an application for a specific vacancy within the stated timeframes, and provides proof of eligibility (DOC policy is that an employee may apply for an advertised vacancy at any time before or after the closing date of the announcement until a certificate of candidates is issued to the selecting official)
• Is determined by the agency to be well qualified for the specific vacancy

ICTAP

Under the provisions of ICTAP, the following types of employees impacted by RIF meet the definition of a displaced employee:

• a current career or career-conditional competitive service employee in tenure group 1 or 2 (career or career-conditional) at grade level GS-15 or equivalent and below, who has received a specific reduction-in-force separation notice or notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area, or
• a former career or career-conditional competitive service employee in tenure group 1 or 2 at grade level GS-15 or equivalent and below, who was separated through reduction in force, or removed for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area, or
• a former career or career-conditional competitive service employee in tenure group 1 or 2 at grade level GS-15 or equivalent and below, who received a RIF separation notice, and who retired on the effective date of the reduction in force or under the discontinued service retirement option.   

In order to be eligible for special selection priority, an individual must meet all the following conditions:

• Be a displaced employee
• Have a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least fully successful or equivalent
• Apply for a vacancy at or below the grade level from which the employee has been or is being separated, that does not have a greater promotion potential than the position from which the employee has been separated or being separated
• Occupy or be displaced from a position in the same local commuting area of the vacancy
• File an application for a specific vacancy within the time frames established by the agency, and provide proof of eligibility.

Eligibility for special selection priority begins: 

• On the date the agency issues the RIF separation notice, or
• On the date an agency issues a formal notice of proposed separation to an employee for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment outside the local commuting area, or
• On the date an agency certifies that it cannot place an employee who was separated because of a compensable injury or illness, or
• On the date an employee eligible is notified that his or her disability annuity has been or is being terminated.

Eligibility expires:

• When the employee receives a career, career-conditional, or excepted appointment without time limit in any agency at any grade level, or
• When an employee no longer meets the eligibility requirements set forth, or
• One year after separation, or
• At an agency’s discretion, when an eligible employee declines a career, career-conditional, or excepted appointment without time limit for which the employee has applied and been rated well-qualified, or
• Upon the failure of the applicant to respond within a reasonable period of time to an offer or official inquiry of availability.

Federal agencies’ vacancies are available on the USAJobs website at https://www.usajobs.gov/.  Career Explorer is a new feature on USAJobs that allows you to be matched to specific positions based on your responses to a quiz. You can also find more information about Department of Commerce vacancies at https://www.commerce.gov/work-with-us/careers.  

Civic Match by Work for America is a nonpartisan program connecting federal workers and campaign staff with meaningful roles in state and local governments across the country. More information is available at https://www.workforamerica.org/civicmatch. 

Millions of jobs are posted on LinkedIn every day. LinkedIn helps you find relevant jobs that suit your skills and qualifications. You can search for a job using the search field on top of the LinkedIn homepage or directly access the Jobs page, where you can search and apply for jobs, here https://www.linkedin.com/jobs. LinkedIn also has a group, “Federal Employees of the U.S. Government,” that you may want to join. Participants actively post resources and jobs that may be of interest. 

For a more generalized approach, there are several virtual job search resources. Some of the most common platforms used are: 

• CareerOneStop
• Indeed
• Monster
• Glassdoor
• ZipRecruiter
• SimplyHired

For a specialized approach, subscribe directly to companies and organizations you want to work for. Make a list of companies, regardless of whether they are hiring. Consult your network to see if you know anyone who works there, or who might know someone who works there. Conduct informational interviews with these points of contact. Bookmark your company website's career pages and subscribe to updates, if available. Apply directly to hiring managers instead of through a job board or link. 

If you are to be placed in a lower pay band by Reduction-in-Force (RIF) procedures, there are rights and benefits to which you are entitled. [Note: Grade and pay retention will not apply if on a temporary or term appointment at the time of a RIF.]

Pay Band/Grade Retention

Pay band (grade) retention applies to an employee who moves to a position in a covered pay system (e.g. APMS) that is in a lower pay band than the position held immediately prior to the demotion as a result of RIF.  Eligibility requirements are:

• You must be in a position under a covered pay system and must have served 52 consecutive weeks or more in a position(s) under a covered pay schedule at a pay band (or equivalent GS grade) higher than the position in which you are placed
• If you are not in a position under a covered pay schedule, you must have served in a position in any pay system for 52 consecutive weeks or more provided that the service was in an agency as defined by 5 U.S.C. 5102 at a pay band (or equivalent GS grade) higher than the position in which you are placed

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you are entitled to retain the pay band from which you were demoted for two years. During this time, your retained pay band will be considered your pay band for most “benefits” purposes (including pay and pay administration, retirement and life insurance, and eligibility for training and promotion). However, the retained grade/pay band CANNOT be used as the employee's grade/pay band for future RIF competition, determining demotion for terminating pay band or pay retention, or determining coverage status under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Pay Retention

Pay retention begins either: 

• As of the date of the RIF if the employee did not hold the higher level position for 52 consecutive weeks, or
• Immediately after the two-year period of pay band retention. 

Pay retention is calculated as either the lower of:

• The rate of basic pay payable immediately before the reduction to which demoted, or
• 150 percent of the maximum rate of the pay band to which demoted. 

If your rate of basic pay can be accommodated within the rate range of the pay band to which demoted, pay retention does not apply.

If your rate of pay exceeds the maximum rate of pay for the pay band to which demoted, you will receive 50 percent of the annual comparability increases for the pay band to which demoted until such time as your rate of pay is equal to or lower than the maximum rate of the pay band to which demoted, or you later become entitled to a higher rate of pay (for example, because of promotion to a higher pay band).

Loss of Eligibility for and Termination of Pay Band and Pay Retention

Pay Band: Loss of eligibility for pay band retention happens if any of the following conditions occur at any time after you receive written notice of the reduction in pay band action, but before commencement of the two-year period of pay band retention:

• You have a break in service of one workday or more
• You are demoted for personal cause or at your request
• You decline a reasonable offer of a position for which the pay band is equal to or higher than the retained pay band
• You elect in writing to terminate the benefits of pay band retention.

Pay band retention terminates if any of the above conditions occurs after the commencement of the two-year period of pay and retention.

Pay: Loss of eligibility for or termination of pay retention occurs if any of the following conditions are met:

• You have a break in service of one workday or more
• You are demoted for personal cause or at your request
• You decline a reasonable offer of a position for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or higher than the rate to which you are entitled under pay retention.
• You are entitled to a rate of basic pay which is equal to or higher than the rate to which you are entitled under pay retention (unless during a temporary promotion or temporary reassignment in which the retained rate would then be held in abeyance during the temporary period)

Regulations relevant to your case are available for examination through OHRM.  If you do not understand the application of the regulations as they affect you, or if you wish to furnish additional facts which appear to have a bearing on your case, contact the HR Specialist identified in your separation notice for guidance.

Upon receipt of a Specific RIF Notice, all completed documents relevant to your case may be requested through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Federal agencies’ vacancies are available on the USAJobs website at https://www.usajobs.gov/.  Career Explorer is a new feature on USAJobs that allows you to be matched to specific positions based on your responses to a quiz. You can also find more information about Department of Commerce vacancies at https://www.commerce.gov/work-with-us/careers.  

Civic Match by Work for America is a nonpartisan program connecting federal workers and campaign staff with meaningful roles in state and local governments across the country. More information is available at https://www.workforamerica.org/civicmatch. 

Millions of jobs are posted on LinkedIn every day. LinkedIn helps you find relevant jobs that suit your skills and qualifications. You can search for a job using the search field on top of the LinkedIn homepage or directly access the Jobs page, where you can search and apply for jobs, here https://www.linkedin.com/jobs. LinkedIn also has a group, “Federal Employees of the U.S. Government,” that you may want to join. Participants actively post resources and jobs that may be of interest. LinkedIn Learning provides video courses taught by industry experts in a variety of fields. You can get one free month of access to courses, messaging, company insights, etc (please note you must cancel before your free month trial ends to avoid being charged).

For a more generalized approach, there are several virtual job search resources. Some of the most common platforms used are: 

• CareerOneStop – also offers a free self-paced guide to help with your job search
• Indeed
• Monster
• Glassdoor
• ZipRecruiter
• SimplyHired
• ExecuNet – career counseling and executive job search service for senior executives

For a specialized approach, subscribe directly to companies and organizations you want to work for. Make a list of companies, regardless of whether they are hiring. Consult your network to see if you know anyone who works there, or who might know someone who works there. Conduct informational interviews with these points of contact. Bookmark your company website's career pages and subscribe to updates, if available. Apply directly to hiring managers instead of through a job board or link. 

Udemy is a site that allows instructors to host online courses on their preferred topics. This can be a good resource to take courses in areas of interest to you that may help with your job search, including Job Interview Courses. They offer a 7-day free trial.

NIST has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Acentra. This is available to separated employees for 30 days after separation. Visit mylifeexpert.com and select “Sign Up” located below the blue Log In prompt. You can register with your personal or work email address. Some of the services they offer include: 

• Free 30-minute phone consultation with a financial expert
• 24/7 resources once you’re signed up in areas like budgeting, debt management, work/life resources, and more
• Counselor support available 24/7 at the toll-free number 1(800) 869-0276.

The Partnership for Public Service has a FedSupport hub where you can find answers to questions, share critical information, build community, find webinars, blogs, fact sheets, guides, and more.

The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) provides support for dedicated public servants during uncertain times. It offers a curated list of national and regional resources that may benefit federal employees impacted by layoffs and other events. Some examples include: 

• Yoga
• How to File an Appeal
• What is unemployment insurance
• e-newsletter

Some additional community resources to consider:

• Career Support from the Graduate Career Consortium: Free or low cost career support for people impacted by federal RIFs, funding cuts, and/or hiring freezes.
• Coastal Collaborative Care: Combined community acupuncture and group therapy program. It starts on May 10 from 5:30 – 6:45 pm and meets once a month in Alexandria, VA. The cost is $35-$45 per session. You can find more information here.  
• Community Acupuncture and Group Therapy – Acupuncture services in Alexandria, VA. Offered once a month, starting Saturday, May 10th, from 5:30 – 6:45 PM. $35-$45 (or sliding scale) per session.
• Darby Integrative Counseling: Sliding scale rates for therapy to support individuals facing emotional and practical challenges.
• Employment Anxiety Support Group: Free 8-week support group for employees who have been or are worried they may be laid off from May to June 2025.
• Federal Career Transition Mini Course: Three free mini lessons on how to stand out for the next chapter.
• Federal Employee Support Group: Free sessions starting May 6th; every other Tuesday from 6 – 7 PM ET. Email info [at] evolvinn.com (info[at]evolvinn[dot]com) to learn more and sign up.
• Grounded Idealist: 3 free coaching sessions, which can be continued beyond for a fee. You’ll be matched with a coach based on your submitted form.
• Hope White Consulting: Offering events related to interviewing, resumes, and more. Pricing ranges from free to $197.
• Intuitive Strategy Guidance from Maria Finch: Free 60-minute sessions for federal employees who have been RIFed to help sort out challenges, tune into intuition, and create strategies. Book a free session here.
• Mindful Movement DC: Free Yoga, Strength, and TRX Classes in Adams Morgan, DC. Email Rachel [at] mindfulmovementdc.com (Rachel[at]mindfulmovementdc[dot]com).
• Navigating the Job Search: Overcoming Age-Related Concerns – Article with tips for older employees.
• Short-term Therapy from Mary Szegda, LPD: For DC residents, telehealth is available for federal workers experiencing pain.
• Support Group for Government Workers: Virtual weekly support group that runs for 10 weeks on Tuesdays from 6-7 PM. Join the group to feel heard, build connections, process difficult emotions, and learn skills. $75/session
• Takoma Therapy: Free yoga therapy is offered on the first Friday of each month.