Via Outside the Beltway comes this Defense Department release, which indicates significant changes are in store for the military workforce:
Up to 25,000 Defense Department civilians may be eligible for thousands of dollars in separation pay through an early-buyout program.
The program is part of the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act.
On Dec. 30, Ginger Groeber, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, allocated 25,000 buyouts to defense components to pay eligible departing employees up to $25,000 if they choose to leave their jobs early.
. . .
Groeber said the program’s primary beneficiaries are employees who work at facilities the Defense Department expects to close, or at locations where there is a change in the military mission. She said that while the buyout will help DoD to minimize its work force at commands and organizations that are downsizing or restructuring, it also may allow the department to offer a substantial sum of money to workers forced out of their jobs through the separation process.
This reminds me: someone who works near Washington, D.C. recently told me that within three or four years there’s a huge number (25%?) of federal workers who will become eligible for retirement. It may be that a lot of baby boomers are reaching that point. At any rate, if we do see a high turnover in the near future it’s not going to do much to improve government efficiency, is it?
Ahh but now the rest of the story (or at least part of it). Next year the BRAC is back (closing down of approx 25% of stateside bases to save money). This is a cushion for those people who work in bases that will be closing their doors (25,000 people seems very feasible). Some of them will be offered positions at other bases (and many will decline) but many of the positions will be completly surplussed. This sort of buyout not only helps the people involved but also their local community. It is nice to see DoD looking ahead.
Yes, it’s good they just don’t toss employees out on the street.
Are “Special Pay Employees” excluded from consideration for these buyouts? Will “Special Pay Employees” ever be considered for buyouts?
Are “Special Pay Employees” excluded from consideration for these buyouts? Will “Special Pay Employees” ever be considered for buyouts?