Commerce Alternative Personnel System operating units follow reduction-in-force (RIF) contained in current law and regulation, except that career path is added to the definition of competitive areas, retention credit for performance is based on performance ranking, and grades are converted to bands for the purpose of interpreting reduction-in-force regulations.

The objective of the link between career paths and competitive areas is to improve the fit between the skills of displaced employees and the positions they are offered through reduction-in-force procedures. The objective of the link between performance and retention standing is to continue to make performance a factor in retention during reduction-in-force.