Do employees have appeal rights under RIF procedures?
An employee who has been separated, downgraded, or furloughed for more than 30 days by a RIF has the right to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) (within 30 days after the effective date of the RIF action), if the employee feels that the agency did not properly follow the RIF regulations. An employee in a bargaining unit covered by negotiated grievance procedure that does not exclude RIF must use the negotiated grievance procedure and may not appeal to MSPB, unless the employee alleges the action was based on discrimination.
