Federal managers can now force-rank employees and block appeals

Federal agencies can now force a certain percentage of employees into low performance ratings. Employees can no longer challenge these ratings, and the lowest ratings will not get mandatory review.

For decades, federal employees had protections against arbitrary performance reviews, including the right to grieve a rating. This rule removes those safeguards, making it easier for agencies to use "forced distribution" to rank employees. This means managers can now assign low ratings without extensive justification or fear of appeal, potentially increasing turnover or creating a more competitive internal culture.