The Air Force announced last week it will implement Reduction in Force (RIF) authorities through August 23, 2013. These authorities will be used at about 60 Air Force installations, according to an Air Force news release.
The Air Force emphasized that this action is not related to sequestration.
These actions will enable the Air Force to meet its civilian workforce reductions goal (-16,000) set in FY2012 to meet funding targets. About 15,000 of that goal has been met without using RIF authorities. “Voluntary efforts to balance the civilian workforce in FY12 have gotten us significantly closer to funding levels, but we still have a way to go in placing the number of surplus employees to funded vacancies, and RIF authorities will enable us to achieve that goal,” according to Brig Gen. Gina Grosso, the Air Force director of force management policy.
Grosso stressed that RIF procedures will give employees more flexibility to be placed at their current installations without losing grade or pay or to be registered in the Priority Placement Program (PPP). Using RIF procedures will also give installations greater flexibilities to realign and rebalance their civilian workforce.
The RIF procedures are used to identify employee placement rights to vacancies and possibly waive qualifications, creating additional placement options.
