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What you said is correct, but there is an upside. What you are actually RIFing is the position. So if a GS has seniority they will be retained, but will not necessarily return to the same job. I have been through two RIFs. They do happen and are generally part of a restructuring due to budgets. I am retired from a Fed position. Recently a very senior Fed employee I know was caught in a RIF/restructuring. When the restructuring occurred, the senior employee was retained but was no longer in a management role. That employee retained the pay but was now a grunt again. I remember the lectures this employee gave about responsibility to the program and the DOD during the two previous RIFs. When I came under attack because I told a senior DOD official what he was asking was a violation of the privacy act, that same employee was my worthless rep who told me stop making waves, just do it. That senior employee retired rather then be forced to actually do the work. One comment in the article makes me believe the author is legit. The hard workers the ones who take the job seriously always risk exposing themselves to senior officials which is a crap shoot. You may get praised or punished. The ones who stick around for thirty years keep their head down only doing the minimum required by their PD (position description) and do not break rules. They become untouchable and simply occupy a space. I spent two years after confronting that senior official ducking and hiding. Until after two years of relentless BS I simply retired. Once you reach retirement eligibility as Fed it is hard to be fired, short of breaking the law, any half a$$ attorney can get a termination rescinded.

I must admit I'm honestly surprised Performance is even a consideration. The almighty government employee unions were never able to get that off the list? I wonder if they couldn't get rid of it or they just left it there because, frankly, what were the odds there would ever be a President who would let any dept. be shutdown for 30 days? "30 straight days? Yeah, right, like that would ever happen! Everyone knows that would be political suicide."