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.
This calendar was last updated October 15, 2026, and several dates could shift as Congress acts on funding and OPM posts its plan materials.
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.
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.
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. Retiring before the leave year ends on January 9 also means any annual leave above the carryover limit is paid out instead of forfeited.
What Could Change These Dates?
The December 11 date is the one to watch. 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.
