Some IRS employees who accepted the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) “deferred resignation” offer are finding themselves obligated to stay on the job until at least May 15. The agency has designated their work “essential” for the 2025 tax filing season, forcing them to remain far longer than they originally anticipated.
“I want the deal that OPM offered,” one IRS processing center employee reportedly told Federal News Network, explaining that her initial understanding was that she would go on paid administrative leave well before May. Instead, she is now expected to remain at her post through much of the busiest part of the filing season.
Earlier, in a memo eerily similar to Elon Musk’s email to then-Twitter employees, OPM presented federal workers with a clear-cut choice to be made until early February—either remain in their roles or take a path toward “deferred resignation” with months of paid leave. Those will accept to leave their posts would be placed on paid administrative leave and receive up to eight months of salary before their official separation from federal service.
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The IRS, however, argued that the upcoming tax deadline makes some personnel indispensable, insisting on retaining key staff to avoid jeopardizing essential public services.
Doreen Greenwald, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union, has called the recent shift “a clear case of bait-and-switch,” warning that if OPM is willing to modify terms for IRS personnel, the agency could do the same to others.
Employees from multiple agencies say they are reevaluating OPM’s “deferred resignation” option now that the IRS has set a precedent for extending service.
OPM’s contract template does include provisions allowing agency heads to delay or even rescind the offer under certain circumstances. Employees who sign the contract also waive their right to appeal the decision through the Merit Systems Protection Board or other legal avenues.
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