OPM and MSPB just proposed a sweeping overhaul of how the federal government disciplines and addresses poor performance in its workforce — and it touches almost everything.  Shortened reply periods.  The end of the Douglas factors.  No more tables of penalties.  No way to negotiate a clean record.  If you are a federal employee, these changes could reshape how fast you need to act, how much guidance your supervisor has, and how permanent a bad day at work can become.  This post covers what is actually in the proposal — and what it means for you.

Suitability determinations used to be something you dealt with once — before your first day on the job — but not anymore. OPM's new regulations expand the suitability process to reach current federal employees for their post-appointment conduct, add new grounds for action (including tax delinquency and refusal to sign OPM's forthcoming non-disclosure agreement), and put debarment on the table long after you've already been hired. Here's what changed, why it matters, and what could be coming next.