# Presentation: 079142

## Headquarters 2005 Buyout Information Session

- March 2005

## AGENDA

- Welcome
- Agency Overview
- Headquarters Buyout/Early-out	 Overview
- Retirement/NEBS Overview
- Questions/Answers

## AGENCY OVERVIEW

**Agency-wide workforce issues and challenges are:**
- Program requirements do not support on-board FTE’s
- Projected missions require changes in the number and competencies of it’s workforce
- Agency need to reshape its workforce so it is aligned with the Vision and current and future budget allocations

## AGENCY OVERVIEW

-     Five NASA Centers have been identified areas of excess competencies, where funding issues dictated that these imbalances be addressed during FY 2005 and FY 2006:
- Glenn Research Center
- Langley Research Center
- Ames Research Center
- Dryden Flight Research Center
- Marshall Space Flight Center

## AGENCY OVERVIEW

- The Agency formed a Transformation Action Team to implement mitigating actions in sequence from the least to the most disruptive to our workforce:
***Hiring Restrictions***
***Buyouts/Earlyouts at Centers with uncovered capacity***
***Buyouts/Earlyouts of surplus competencies NASA-wide***
- Voluntary reassignments/Job Fairs
- Career Transition Assistance Program
- Directed reassignments (last resort)
- Involuntary Workforce Realignment (last resort)
- Hiring restrictions (recruit from within) have been implemented across the Agency and job fairs were conducted at the 5 Centers with uncovered capacity
- Currently offering buyouts/early-outs throughout most of the Agency

## AGENCY OVERVIEW

**Buyouts/Early-outs from the Human Capital Perspective**
- Continue to protect core safety, shuttle and station, and exploration-related competencies; and other critical workforce competencies
- Careful analysis to ensure adequate staffing of each competency
- Apply One-NASA Agency-wide approach to ensure we do not buyout competencies needed elsewhere in NASA

## HEADQUARTERS BUYOUTS/EARLY OUT OVERVIEW

- Conducted a comprehensive, strategic review of the current human capital
- Identified current position competencies and those needed to support new NASA strategies and program priorities
- Applied Agency-wide approach to ensure that critical competencies needed elsewhere in NASA were not required
- Determined surplus competencies at Headquarters

## HEADQUARTERS BUYOUT/EARLY-OUT OVERVIEW

**Two Categories of buyouts/early-outs are being offered at HQS:**
- Earlyouts must follow same rules as Category 1 & 2 buyouts
**Category 1**
- 3 competencies were been identified as surplus (i.e., there is no longer a requirement or there is a reduced requirement for the competency)
- Commercial Technology; Air Traffic Systems; Research Dev, or Flight Facility Planning
- Was offered to General Schedule employees in positions whose competency were identified as surplus
- Employees in affected positions were notified that they have the opportunity to apply for the buyout
- Separation of employees in this Category _must be completed by April 3, 2005_
- Positions targeted for this buyout will not be refilled with the same competency at Headquarters

## HEADQUARTERS BUYOUT/EARLY-OUT OVERVIEW

**Category 2**
- Any General Schedule employee willing to leave provided it creates a placement for an employee occupying a position whose competency has been identified as surplus.  These buyouts will be contingent on the placement of the Center employee in the surplus competency; and
- Employees in Senior Executive Service, ST, and SL positions provided the position is abolished, the slot is eliminated and a vacancy is created for a General Schedule employee occupying a position whose competency has been identified as surplus.  These buyouts will also be contingent on the placement of a Center employee in a surplus competency.

## HEADQUARTERS BUYOUT/EARLY-OUT OVERVIEW

**Category 2 (Cont.)**
- Headquarters employees will have the opportunity to volunteer for a buyout/early-out
- Buyout/early-out will be contingent on the placement of an employee in a surplus competency to Headquarters
- Headquarters Human Resources Division will work with organizations to explore possibilities for placement of employees in surplus competencies through a “swap” with those Headquarters employees who volunteer for a buyout/early-out
- Employees who replace potential buyout/early-out recipients must commit to be reassigned and relocated to Headquarters before a buyout agreement is final
- Separation of employees in this Category would occur _by_ June 3, 2005 or _on _October 3, 2005

## APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

- For Category 2
- Application completed and submitted
- Meet basic requirements
- Match made and confirmed
- Management approval
- Human Resources Management Division approves buyout
- Employee completes retirement/separation paperwork and buyout occurs

## HEADQUARTERS BUYOUT/EARLY OUT OVERVIEW

**Basic Eligibility Requirements for a Buyout**
- The law specifies that you are **not** eligible to receive a buyout if you:
- 	-Are a re-employed annuitant; or serving under an appointment with a time limitation;
- 	-Have a disability on the basis of which you would be eligible for a disability retirement;
- 	-Have not been on-board with the Federal Government without a break in service for 3 continuous years;
- 	-Are in receipt of a specific notice of involuntary separation for misconduct or unacceptable performance;
- 	-Have received a buyout before;
- 	-Are covered by statutory reemployment rights from another organization;
- 	-During the 24 months preceding separation you performed service for which a recruitment or relocation bonus was or is to be paid; or
- 	-During the 12 months preceding separation you performed service for which a retention bonus (or allowance) was or is to be paid

## HEADQUARTERS BUYOUT/EARLY OUT OVERVIEW

**Headquarters Buyout/Early-Out Process**
- Category 1 & 2 employees begin to sign up for 	March 16
- 	consideration
- Deadline for Category 1 employees to submit 		March 23
- 	applications
- Deadline for Category 2 employees 			April 22 (June 3 applicants)
- 	 to submit applications				May 23 (October 3 applicants)
- HR evaluates applications & notifies employees of basic
- 	eligibility  (Category 1 applications will be reviewed first)	Ongoing thru May 31
- Category 1 Employees Group “Out-Processing”               	April 1 (last business day)
- Category 2 Employees “Out-Processing”                        	Thru June 3 or
- 							on Oct 3

## RETIREMENT OVERVIEW

**Types of Retirements**
_**CSRS:**_
- Optional (Voluntary)
- Age 55 with 30 years of service
- Age 60 with 20 years of service
- Age 62 with 5 years of service
- Early Out (Voluntary with reduction)
- Age 50 with 20 years of service
- Any age with 25 years of service
- Deferred retirement - resignation with an option for retirement in the future.
- Applies for deferred annuity at age 62 (must have at least 5 years creditable service
- Does not receive a refund of all retirement contributions
- Is not eligible for immediate retirement benefit

## RETIREMENT OVERVIEW

**Types of Retirement (Cont.)**
_**FERS:**_
- Optional (Voluntary)
- Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years of service
- Age 60 with 20 years of service
- Age 62 with 5 years of service
- Early Retirement (Voluntary)
- Age 50 with 20 years of service
- Any Age with 25 years of service
- Deferred retirement - resignation with an option for retirement in the future.
- Completed at least 5 years creditable service and are eligible for a deferred retirement
- Completed at least 10 years creditable service, including 5 years civilian service, and are eligible for an annuity at the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA)

## ELIGIBILITY FOR VOLUNTARY EARLY OUT AUTHORITY (VERA)

- In order to be eligible to retire under a VERA by the date of separation, an employee must:
- Complete at least 20 years creditable service and be at least age 50; or complete at least 25 years creditable service, regardless of age;
- Serve in a position eligible to receive the offer
- Serve during a time period designated by the Agency (under an OPM approved authority) in which voluntary early retirements are offered; and
- Not meet any of the ineligibility categories

## INELIGIBILITY FOR VOLUNTARY EARLY OUT AUTHORITY (VERA)

- Employees in the following categories are **not** eligible for voluntary early retirement:
- Were not employed in the requesting agency at least 31 days prior to the date the agency requested VERA; or
- Are serving under time-limited appointments; or
- Are in receipt of a decision of involuntary separation for misconduct or unacceptable performance.
**	****The above provisions affect all employees seeking voluntary early retirements.**

## BUYOUT AMOUNT/CALCULATION

**Buyout calculation based on the formula to compute severance pay**.
- Combination of years of service, age and salary
- Maximum amount is $25,000 (pre-tax) or the severance pay amount, whichever is less.
**Severance Pay calculation:**
- 1 week’s basic pay for each of the first 10 years of civilian service
- Plus 2 weeks’ basic pay for each year over 10 years
- Age adjustment allowance of 10% added for each year over age 40.

## NASA EMPLOYEE BENEFIT STATEMENT (NEBS)

- To see your monthly annuity before deductions, you can review your NEBS at:

**http://nasapeople.nasa.gov/NEBS/index.htm**

## Headquarters Buyout Website:
 http://www.hq.nasa.gov/buyout2005

Headquarters Contact Information:
Retirement Estimates  
Al Reeves, 358-1793, jreeves@nasa.gov
Retirement Computations
Angela Thompson, 358-2096, angela.thompson-1@nasa.gov
Benefits and NEBS Questions  
Scott Howell, 358-1558, scott.howell@nasa.gov
Buyout Process & General Questions 
Brenda Spicer, 358-1561, brenda.l.spicer@nasa.gov
Competency Questions
Jody Williams, 358-4367, http://competency.hq.nasa.gov

- Headquarters Buyout Website:
-  http://www.hq.nasa.gov/buyout2005
- Headquarters Contact Information:
- Retirement Estimates
- Al Reeves, 358-1793, jreeves@nasa.gov
- Retirement Computations
- Angela Thompson, 358-2096, angela.thompson-1@nasa.gov
- Benefits and NEBS Questions
- Scott Howell, 358-1558, scott.howell@nasa.gov
- Buyout Process & General Questions
- Brenda Spicer, 358-1561, brenda.l.spicer@nasa.gov
- Competency Questions
- Jody Williams, 358-4367, http://competency.hq.nasa.gov

- CONTACTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION