Important Dates for Federal Employees: October 2026 to January 2027
The key dates for federal employees this fall: Open Season runs Nov 9 to Dec 14, funding expires Dec 11, and the annuity COLA takes effect Dec 1. Please note, several dates could shift as Congress acts on funding and OPM posts its plan materials.
Source: OPM, 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights for Plan Year 2027; OPM, Leave Year Beginning and Ending Dates; Congressional Research Service, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2027.
What Are the Important Dates for Federal Employees This Fall?
| Date | What happens | Who it affects |
| Early November | OPM posts plan brochures and its Plan Comparison Tool. OPM has not given an exact date. | FEHB and PSHB enrollees |
| Monday, Nov 9 | Open Season begins for FEHB, PSHB, FEDVIP, and FSAFEDS. FSAFEDS participants must re-enroll each year. | Employees and annuitants |
| Saturday, Nov 28 | Deadline for most federal employees to schedule use-or-lose annual leave in writing if they want the leave to be eligible for restoration. | Employees with leave above the carryover limit |
| Late November | Social Security COLA notices go online in my Social Security, and Medicare enrollees see their 2027 premium in their message center. | Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries |
| Tuesday, Dec 1 | The 2027 COLA takes effect for federal annuities. FERS retirees must be 62 by this date to receive it. | Retirees |
| Friday, Dec 11 | Current government funding expires. A lapse would begin December 12 if Congress does not act. | All employees |
| Monday, Dec 14 | Open Season ends. | Employees and annuitants |
| Thursday, Dec 31 | Last day to retire in 2026 with a FERS annuity starting January 1. | FERS retirees |
| Friday, Jan 1 | FEHB changes take effect for annuitants and PSHB enrollees. | Annuitants, postal employees |
| Monday, Jan 4 | First business day of January and payment date for December federal annuity benefits, including the applicable COLA for eligible annuitants. | Retirees |
| Saturday, Jan 9 | The 2026 leave year ends. Annual leave above the carryover limit is forfeited. | Employees |
| Sunday, Jan 10 | FEHB changes take effect for non-postal employees, and the first pay period of 2027 begins. | Employees |
What Dates Matter Most for Open Season?
Open Season runs from November 9 through December 14. Premiums are rising in 2027: the average FEHB enrollee share goes up 10.9%, and PSHB goes up 8.2%. Nine FEHB plan options and one PSHB plan are leaving, so some enrollees must choose a new plan. Start with FFEBA's Open Season guide, and use the FEHB vs. Medicare tool if you are retired and eligible for Medicare.
What Dates Matter for Retirement and the COLA?
The COLA is 3.6% for Social Security and CSRS and 2.6% for FERS retirees, who must be 62 by December 1 to get it. See FFEBA's COLA guide or the COLA impact tool for your own numbers.
A FERS annuity starts the first day of the month after you separate, so retiring on December 31 starts it January 1. If you plan to do that, ask your HR office how far ahead it needs your application, and see the retirement application guide. Retiring before the leave year ends on January 9 also means any annual leave above the carryover limit is paid out instead of forfeited. The annual leave lump sum tool shows the amount.
- 1
Tuesday, December 1
The 2027 COLA takes effect for federal annuities: 3.6% for CSRS, 2.6% for FERS retirees who are 62 by this date.
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Thursday, December 31
Last day to retire in 2026 with a FERS annuity that starts January 1.
- 3
Monday, January 4
First business day of January: the December annuity payment arrives, with the COLA for eligible annuitants.
What Could Change These Dates?
The December 11 date matters most. The current funding law expires then, and Congress must pass full-year appropriations or another stopgap to avoid a lapse that would begin December 12. A proposed 2027 pay freeze for most civilian employees is also unresolved. OPM's exact date for posting plan brochures is still unannounced. This page will be updated as each of these changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is FEHB Open Season in 2026?
Open Season runs November 9 through December 14, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027 for annuitants and PSHB enrollees, and January 10, 2027 for non-postal employees.
When does the 2026 leave year end?
Saturday, January 9, 2027. Annual leave above your carryover limit, 240 hours for most employees, is forfeited at that point, and the deadline to schedule it in writing for possible restoration is November 28.
When will the 2027 COLA show up in my annuity payment?
The COLA takes effect December 1, 2026 and first appears in the payment on the first business day of January, which is Monday, January 4, 2027.
When is the next government funding deadline?
Friday, December 11, 2026. If Congress has not passed full-year funding or another stopgap by then, a funding lapse would begin December 12.
Sources: OPM, 2026 Federal Benefits Open Season Highlights for Plan Year 2027; OPM, Leave Year Beginning and Ending Dates fact sheet; OPM CSRS and FERS Handbook, Chapter 2, and retirement FAQ on COLA timing; Social Security Administration, 2027 COLA press release (October 14, 2026); Congressional Research Service, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2027 (P.L. 119-103); White House, alternative pay plan letter to Congress (August 26, 2026).
