DOD’s deferred resignation program to be offered April 7-14

The Defense Department will offer its deferred resignation program to eligible DOD civilian employees April 7-14, according to a new memo.

Voluntary early retirement authority will also be offered.

The initiatives, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, come as the Pentagon is looking to reduce its civilian workforce and implement the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts.

“The DoD DRP provides a generous opportunity for employees to enter a paid leave status for several months, prior to resigning or retiring. Employees pending approval or approved for the DoD DRP will not be subject to Return to In-Person Work requirements,” Jules Hurst III, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, wrote in an April 1 memo to senior Pentagon leadership, combatant commanders, and DOD agency and field directors.

“Exemptions to DRP should be rare,” he noted.

However, principal staff assistants and DOD component heads may exempt “mission critical positions” from the offerings and deny workers’ requests to participate.

“PSAs and DoD Component heads will ensure that all eligible employees in their respective organizations are notified of the availability of DoD DRP and VERA, and are provided a means to elect to participate,” Hurst wrote.

He added: “PSAs and DoD Component heads will conduct the analysis required by 10 U.S.C. § 129a when determining which positions will be exempt. They should also consider the loss of that position’s impact on readiness and the performance of mission essential functions.”

Eligible workers can choose early retirement without participating in the deferred resignation program.

Employees approved for either initiative will have to leave federal service by Sept. 30, which is the end of the fiscal year.

Probationary employees are eligible to participate in the deferred resignation program. However, it’s not available for Non-Appropriated Fund employees, Foreign Local National employees, Dual-Status Military Technicians, Highly Qualified Experts, and Re-Employed Annuitants, according to the memo.

“Employees participating in the DoD DRP will begin administrative leave no earlier than May 1, 2025. Before beginning administrative leave, employees must enter a written agreement to resign or retire by September 30, 2025. Retiring employees will not be permitted to extend until December 31, 2025. Where appropriate, management may agree not to establish a debt for unfulfilled time-in-service requirements,” Hurst wrote.