(a) Except as otherwise provided in this part, a specific written notice under § 351.801 must include:

(1) The action to be taken, the reasons for the action, and its effective date;

(2) The employee's competitive area, competitive level, veterans' preference subgroup, tenure group and subgroup, service date, and three most recent ratings of record received during the last 4 years;

(3) A link to 5 CFR part 351 and information on how to access the agency's records pertinent to the reduction in force being taken.

(4) The reasons for retaining a lower-standing employee in the same competitive level under § 351.607 or § 351.608;

(5) Information on reemployment rights, except as permitted by § 351.803(a); and

(6) The employee's right, as applicable, to appeal to OPM, including the time limit for filing an appeal under § 351.902(b) of this part and the electronic filing system, identified on OPM's website, through which an appeal must be filed.

(b) When an agency issues an employee a notice, the agency must, upon the employee's request, provide the employee with a copy of OPM's retention regulations found in part 351 of this chapter.