2011 Buyout Guide

Budget

2011 Buyout Guide

A list of federal agencies that considered or offered buyouts and early retirements in 2011.

Federal News Network Staff

August 16, 2011 2:19 pm

4 min read

Slimmer budgets and changing priorities forced nearly two dozen agencies to consider or offer buyouts and early retirements in 2011.

Here is Federal News Radio’s latest list:

Click here for details about buyout and early retirement activity in 2012.

Agency	Description	Timelines
Agriculture	Buyouts for 1,966 employees in the Agriculture Department’s Rural Development division. The buyouts are worth up to $25,000 for optional retirement and early retirement eligible employees. In fiscal 2011, USDA offered buyouts to 544 employees in three divisions.	The deadline for employees to leave passed on Dec. 3, 2011.
Air Force	In September, the Air Force announced buyouts for up to 6,005 civilian employees. The Air Force said the initiative will help it maintain civilian staffing at fiscal 2010 levels.
Army	The Army Materiel Command announced buyouts and early retirements for 33 positions but did not provide Federal News Radio with details on how many people actually quit.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives	Buyouts/early outs for 400 employees	The deadline for employees to leave passed on Nov. 30, 2011.
Centers for Disease Control	A spokesperson told Federal News Radio that CDC planned to offer buyouts and early retirements. But the agency declined to say when it would make the offers.
U.S. Courts	“The Judiciary is using early outs and buyouts on a limited, as needed, basis to facilitate approved workforce restructuring plans,” according to a U.S. courts spokesperson. Federal News Radio requested, but did not receive, information about the number of positions the agency planned to target.	Federal News Radio requested, but did not not receive, details about the application and separation windows.
Education	Early outs/buyouts from 350 people – or 10 percent workforce – in 12 offices	The deadline for employees to leave passed on Jan. 3, 2012.
Federal Trade Commission	The FTC offered buyouts and/or early retirements to 301 employees. Only 34 people accepted buyouts. Two took early retirements and four accepted both.	FTC made offers in April 2011. The deadline for employees to leave passed on June 30, 2011.
Government Accountability Office	Buyouts/early outs for 56 positions	The deadline to leave passed on Sept. 30, 2011.
Government Printing Office	GPO received 320 buyout applications, for offers it made in June 2011. GPO said in a January 2012 release 247 employees took the buyout offer.	The deadline for employees to leave passed on Dec. 31, 2011.
Housing and Urban Development	Buyouts authorized for up to 18 positions in the Office of Field Policy and Management (167 employees eligible)	The deadline for employees to leave passed on Sept. 9, 2011.
IRS	On Nov. 4, 2011, the IRS commissioner announced buyouts and early retirements for employees who do not work directly in taxpayer services. He did not say how many positions the agency would target.	Federal News Radio has requested details about the application and separation deadlines.
Justice Department	31 employees in the Antitrust Division took buyouts.	Number of buyouts as of June 30, 2011.
Library of Congress	LOC targeted about 350 positions, according an internal announcement sent to staff on Aug. 19. The agency accepted applications from 186 people.	The deadline to leave passed on Nov. 3, 2011.
NASA	NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center approved buyout applications for 120 employees. Those employees will receive incentive payments of up to $25,000. In November 2011, NASA offered buyouts for employees at its headquarters. The agency planned to accept 50 buyout applications, Gov Exec reported. Gov Exec also reported NASA offered buyouts to employees at the Kennedy Space Center, Ames Research Center (50 buyouts approved) and Johnson Space Center (99 buyouts accepted).	The deadline for Marshall employees to leave passed on Dec. 31, 2011. The deadline for HQ staff to apply passed on Nov. 18, 2011. The Ames buyout offer closed in September 2011. The Johnson buyout offer closed Sept. 30, 2011.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	The NRC targeted 48 positions with buyout and early retirement offers. Most of the positions are management and program analysis jobs at headquarters.	The application window closed Nov. 18, 2011. Employees must separate by Jan. 14.
Postal Service	USPS has not announced definite plans for buyouts or early retirements. But the agency told Federal News Radio it included both as options in its effort to cut 220,000 jobs, or 38 percent of its workforce, by 2015.
Small Business Administration	OPM and the Office of Management and Budget approved SBA’s plan to offer buyouts and early retirements to 300 employees, agency spokesman Mike Stamler told Federal News Radio Oct. 19, 2011.	SBA did not provide Federal News Radio with details on application and separation deadlines.
Smithsonian	The Smithsonian approved buyouts for 104 federal employees.	The deadline for employees to leave passed on Oct. 31, 2011.
Transportation Security Administration	The Office of Personnel management gave TSA authority to offer early retirements through Dec. 31, 2013. But a TSA spokesperson told Federal News Radio has not exercised that authority.
Veterans Affairs	Eleven of VA’s regional health care networks planned to offer buyouts (829 positions) and early retirements (210 positions).	VA spokesperson Jo Schuda told Federal News Radio application and separation deadlines vary and that employees should contact their managers for specifics. VA’s authority expires on Sept. 30, 2012.