As the 2025 government shutdown unfolds, agencies are under pressure to downsize. Recent directives from the administration have told agencies to use the shutdown as a chance to issue Reduction in Force (RIF) notices—something unprecedented in past funding lapses.

For veterans working in federal service, one question rises to the top: Does veterans’ preference protect me in a shutdown-related RIF?

At the National Security Law Firm, we fight for federal employees and veterans nationwide who are facing furloughs, RIFs, and career-ending decisions. Here’s what you need to know about how veterans’ preference works when agencies start cutting staff during a shutdown.

Veterans’ Preference Basics in RIFs

Veterans’ preference is designed to protect former service members in federal hiring and downsizing. During a RIF, agencies must follow Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations that require:

  • Retention Registers: Agencies must rank employees by tenure group, veterans’ preference status, and performance ratings.

  • Preference Categories: Veterans with preference are placed ahead of non-veterans in the same tenure group and subgroup.

  • Bump and Retreat Rights: Veterans may displace (or “bump”) non-veterans in lower retention standing, or “retreat” to a previously held position.

In short, veterans are supposed to be the last separated when cuts occur.

How Shutdown RIFs Complicate Veterans’ Preference

Shutdown-related RIFs are uncharted territory. Traditionally, shutdowns triggered temporary furloughs, not permanent RIFs. Now, agencies are being told to cut positions entirely. That raises several issues:

  • Mixing apples and oranges: Shutdown contingency plans (who is “excepted” or “non-excepted”) have nothing to do with RIF retention registers. Agencies may try to blur these categories.

  • Speed vs. accuracy: Agencies rushing to issue RIF notices during a shutdown are more likely to misapply veterans’ preference rules.

  • Scope of protection: Veterans’ preference applies to competitive service employees, but not all excepted service or contractor roles. Many employees may not know if they’re covered.

The bottom line: while veterans’ preference rights still apply, shutdown conditions make violations more likely.

Common Violations We Expect to See

  1. Improper Retention Registers
    Agencies may skip or mishandle the required ranking process, leaving veterans unfairly vulnerable.

  2. Failure to Apply Bump/Retreat Rights
    Veterans are often not informed of their right to displace less-preferred employees. Agencies may ignore this step entirely.

  3. Confusing Furlough with RIF
    Managers may treat non-excepted veterans as easy targets, failing to distinguish between temporary furloughs and permanent RIF procedures.

  4. Targeting Protected Classes
    Veterans who also fall into other protected categories (age, disability, minority status) may face disproportionate cuts—compounding legal claims.

Your Legal Rights as a Veteran in a Shutdown RIF

If you are a veteran affected by a RIF during the shutdown, you have the right to:

  • 30 Days’ Written Notice — Agencies must provide notice before separation.

  • Appeal to the MSPB — Veterans can challenge whether the agency properly applied preference and retention rights.

  • Challenge Discrimination or Retaliation — If your veteran status, disability, or protected activity played a role, you can pursue an EEO or OSC complaint.

  • Seek Corrective Action — Successful challenges may result in reinstatement, back pay, or corrected personnel records.

How NSLF Protects Veterans

At the National Security Law Firm, our team of attorneys—many of them veterans themselves—knows how to enforce veterans’ preference when agencies cut corners. We:

  • Audit retention registers to find procedural errors.

  • Assert bump/retreat rights to save careers.

  • File MSPB appeals for veterans wrongly separated.

  • Pursue discrimination and retaliation claims tied to shutdown-related actions.

  • Protect clearances when RIF-related job loss creates financial strain under Guideline F.

Why Choose NSLF?

  • Veteran-founded and veteran-led: We know these rights because we’ve lived them.

  • 4.9-star Google reviews from clients across the country.

  • Located in Washington, D.C., the center of federal employment and veterans’ law.

  • Flexible legal financing (3–24 month plans) so veterans can fight back now.

  • Mission-driven: We maximize outcomes in every case because protecting veterans is personal to us.

National Security Law Firm: It’s Our Turn to Fight for You.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re a veteran facing a RIF during the shutdown, don’t assume your rights will be honored automatically. Agencies make mistakes—and when they do, veterans’ preference gives you powerful leverage.

📞 Book a $500 one-hour consultation online today. We’ll review your notice, analyze your retention rights, and build a plan to fight back.

Your service earned you preference. We’ll make sure you get it.

More Shutdown Resources for Federal Employees

The shutdown raises many legal questions beyond RIFs. We’ve built a series of guides to help you understand your rights and options:

Each post dives deep into a different issue—together, they form the most comprehensive resource online for federal employees navigating a shutdown.