# 2026-13073: Federal Workers Get New Administrative Leave Rules 2026-13073, Administrative Leave for Workforce Realignment and Other Purposes, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Personnel Management Office published 2026-06-29, effective Comments must be received on or before July 29, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-06). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13073 - As of: 2026-07-06 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2026-13073 - Title: Administrative Leave for Workforce Realignment and Other Purposes - Type: Proposed Rule - Agencies: Personnel Management Office - Citation: 91 FR 39032 - Published: 2026-06-29 - Effective: Comments must be received on or before July 29, 2026. - Comments close: 2026-07-29 - Significant: no - Touches household money: yes - Regulation identifier numbers: 3206-AP07 - Last updated: 2026-07-06 ## In one line Federal Workers Get New Administrative Leave Rules ## Summary The Office of Personnel Management wants to update the rules about administrative leave, especially for programs where employees delay their resignation and other workforce changes. These updates clarify when agencies can accept or deny a request to take back a resignation. If approved, these changes will affect federal employees and agencies starting after the comment period ends on July 29, 2026, with no direct cost impact announced yet. ## Abstract The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to amend its regulations to more fully address the appropriate uses of administrative leave, including use in connection with deferred resignation programs and other workforce realignment initiatives, and for other purposes. OPM is also proposing to amend its regulation on resignations to clarify when an agency may accept or deny an employee's request to withdraw a resignation in the context of a deferred resignation program. ## Effects PRIA read - Agencies get sole discretion: cost, medium. Agencies will have ‘‘sole and exclusive’’ discretion to decide whether to provide administrative leave. This means an agency can decide case-by-case whether to give administrative leave or to accept or deny a resignation withdrawal request. - Extended leave for deferred resignations: benefit, medium. Agencies may provide extended periods of administrative leave to employees who sign written agreements to voluntarily separate on a future date, including use in deferred resignation programs and other workforce realignment initiatives. These extended periods are subject to Governmentwide or agency… - Administrative leave allowed during RIF notice: benefit, medium. An agency may place an employee on administrative leave for all or part of a reduction-in-force (RIF) notice period if the agency determines it is appropriate and consistent with part 630, subpart N. The general rule that employees remain in duty status during the notice period now applies only in… - 10-workday investigation limit clarified: benefit, low. Administrative leave may not be used for investigative purposes after an employee has reached the 10-workday calendar year limit in connection with a given investigation. If an investigation continues past that limit, agencies must use section 6329b investigative leave for the continuing investigat… - No substituting admin leave for sick leave: cost, medium. Administrative leave may not be used for a purpose for which sick leave could be used under 5 CFR 630.401(a), unless specifically approved by Governmentwide policy issued by OPM or the President. An employee eligible for sick leave may still receive administrative leave when it is provided for anot… - No admin leave for poll workers: cost, low. Administrative leave may not be used to cover service by poll workers or poll observers in connection with elections. Employees may use accrued annual leave or other flexibilities to serve in those roles. - Resignation withdrawal can be denied: cost, medium. An agency may, in its sole and exclusive discretion, accept or decline an employee's request to withdraw a resignation before it becomes effective. Acceptance of benefits provided under a deferred resignation agreement (such as paid administrative leave) is listed as a valid reason to decline withd… - Up to 5 days for spouse relocation: benefit, low. Agencies may provide up to 5 days of administrative leave for a civilian employee who needs time off to effectuate a change in residence to accompany a qualifying spouse (a uniformed service member or civilian Federal employee) when the spouse's move is due to military orders or agency direction. - Rest after long deployments (2–3 days): benefit, low. Agencies may provide administrative leave to allow employees to rest and recover following unusually lengthy tours of duty or extended travel for work purposes; the preamble gives the example of 2 to 3 days for wildland fire deployments. - Examples: voting, blood donation, EAP, early dismissal: benefit, low. The rule lists several acceptable uses of administrative leave, including providing time to vote on election day, donate blood, participate in employee assistance programs or orientation, and for early dismissal generally no more than 2 hours before a Federal public holiday as a morale gesture. - Prohibited use to mark a former official: cost, low. Administrative leave may not be used to mark the memory of a deceased former Federal official. This prohibition is added to the specific prohibited uses agencies must follow. ## Related documents - [2026-22093](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22093): Personnel Management in Agencies: Strategic Human Capital Management, 2026-10-29 - [2026-21316](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-21316): Managing Senior Professional Performance, 2026-10-19 - [2026-19222](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19222): Employment in the Excepted Service, 2026-09-18 - [2026-18800](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18800): Reduction in Force; Correction, 2026-09-15 - [2026-18828](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18828): Shared Certificates and Pooled Hiring Actions, 2026-09-15 - [2026-16687](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16687): Differential Pay for Prescribed Wildland Fire Activities, 2026-08-14 ## Sources - [2026-13073 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/29/2026-13073/administrative-leave-for-workforce-realignment-and-other-purposes) - [2026-13073 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-29/pdf/2026-13073.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2026-13054, Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Spec…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13054) - [Next: 2026-13076, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding and Proposed Ru…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13076) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13073 (as of 2026-07-06).