[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 5, Volume 1] [Revised as of January 1, 2007] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 5CFR351.601] [Page 254] TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PART 351_REDUCTION IN FORCE--Table of Contents Subpart F_Release From Competitive Level Sec. 351.601 Order of release from competitive level. (a) Each agency shall select competing employees for release from a competitive level under this part in the inverse order of retention standing, beginning with the employee with the lowest retention standing on the retention register. An agency may not release a competing employee from a competitive level while retaining in that level an employee with lower retention standing except: (1) As required under Sec. 351.606 when an employee is retained under a mandatory exception or under Sec. 351.806 when an employee is entitled to a new written notice of reduction in force; or (2) As permitted under Sec. 351.607 when an employee is retained under a permissive continuing exception or under Sec. 351.608 when an employee is retained under a permissive temporary exception. (b) When employees in the same retention subgroup have identical service dates and are tied for release from a competitive level, the agency may select any tied employee for release.