OPM.GOV MARCH 2017

Guide to Voluntary Early

Retirement Regulations

United States Office of Personnel Management
Voluntary Early Retirement Guide 

Table of Contents 

 Topic: Page

1. The Purpose of VERA ................................................................................................... 1 

2. Statutory Basis for VERA Regulations.......................................................................... 1 

3. VERA Regulations......................................................................................................... 2 

4. Agency Planning for Submitting a VERA Request to OPM ......................................... 2 

5. Competitive Sourcing Situations ................................................................................... 4 

6. Agency VERA Decisions .............................................................................................. 4 

7. VERA Request From Agency Headquarters ................................................................. 5 

8. Information in VERA Request to OPM......................................................................... 5 

9. Basis for OPM Approval of VERA Request ................................................................. 8 

10. OPM Evaluation of VERA Request ............................................................................ 8 

11. Maximum Time Period for VERA Option .................................................................. 9 

12. General Eligibility for VERA ...................................................................................... 9 

13. Employees on Active Duty in the Armed Forces ...................................................... 10 

14. Use of Annual Leave to Reach Initial Eligibility for an Immediate Annuity........ 10 

15. VERA Offers Must Be Consistent With OPM-Approved Authority ........................ 11 

16. Organizational Basis for VERA Offers ..................................................................... 11 

17. Selecting Employees for VERA ................................................................................ 11 

18. Additional Options to Select Employees for VERA.................................................. 12 

19. Waiver of the Usual Participation Requirement to Continue Health Benefits into 

Retirement......................................................................................................................... 13 

20. Ensuring that VERA Retirements are Voluntary....................................................... 13 

21. Processing VERA Retirements.................................................................................. 14 

22. Agency Management of VERA................................................................................. 14 

23. Reserved..................................................................................................................... 14 

24. OPM Oversight of VERA.......................................................................................... 15 

25. Checklist for VERA Request...................................................................................... 16 

 

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1. The Purpose of VERA 

The Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) provides agencies the option to 

offer voluntary early retirement when restructuring as well as when downsizing. 

The voluntary early retirement provisions are the same under the Civil Service 

Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System 

(FERS). 

The use of VERA is an option for increasing voluntary attrition in agencies that 

are undergoing substantial organizational change (e.g., reduction in force, 

reorganization, reshaping, delayering). Besides providing an incentive for 

employees to voluntarily retire or resign to avoid potential reduction in force 

actions, the agency may also offer VERA to employees in safe positions that 

could then provide placement opportunities for employees occupying surplus 

positions. 

 VERA is not the same as a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment 

(VSIP), also called a “buyout.” The Office of Personnel Management’s 

(OPM) approval of VERA for an agency does not automatically authorize 

Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments. However, the use of VERA 

and VSIP together has been shown to significantly increase the 

acceptance rate for voluntary separations by VERA, optional retirement, 

or resignation. 

 VERA is not the same as Discontinued Service Retirement (DSR). 

Although the annuity computation formulas and the minimum age and 

service requirements are the same, DSR is an involuntary action, while 

VERA is a voluntary action. DSR may not be used in combination with 

VSIP, which requires a voluntary separation. 

2. Statutory Basis for VERA Regulations 

Section 1313(b) of the Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 2002 (Public Law 

107-296, approved November 25, 2002) authorizes the VERA option under 

OPM’s regulations, as codified in title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.). 

(1) 5 U.S.C. 8336(d)(2) includes the statutory VERA provisions for employees 

covered by the Civil Service Retirement System. 

(2) 5 U.S.C. 8414(b)(1)(B) includes the statutory VERA provisions for 

employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System.

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3. VERA Regulations

OPM implements the statutory VERA requirements through regulations published 

in title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). 

(1) 5 CFR 831.114 covers VERA for employees covered by the Civil Service

Retirement System (CSRS).

(2) 5 CFR 842.213 covers VERA for employees covered by the Federal

Employees Retirement System (FERS).

 On June 15, 2004, OPM published 5 CFR parts 831 and 842 in the

Federal Register at 69 FR 33277, which contain the final VERA

regulations (effective on the date of publication).

 The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

provides a copy of current VERA regulations at

http://www.ecfr.gov.

 VERA regulations do not apply to the Department of Defense

(DoD). Public Law 108-136, approved November 24, 2003, gives

DoD permanent agency-specific VERA and VSIP authority.

(3) Agency Planning for Submitting a VERA Request to

OPM 

The agency has the right to request VERA from OPM, and to make other 

decisions concerning how and when to use an approved VERA. Before 

requesting VERA from OPM, the agency should consider how VERA would 

assist the agency in reaching a specific goal. For example, the goal could be 

direct savings by the voluntary reduction of a specific number of positions. Or, 

the goal could be a voluntary reduction of employees in positions with obsolete 

skills and the establishment of new positions with different skills. 

These planning goals will also help the agency develop the data needed to 

submit a formal request for the VERA option. Without clear staffing goals, the 

agency could find, after offering VERA, that too many employees retired, 

hindering the agency's abilities to perform its essential missions. This is why an 

agency should not request VERA as a first option if the agency finds itself facing 

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what could be a temporary situation, such as a short-term reduction in available 

appropriations. 

If the agency receives a VERA authority, the defined goals will assist the agency 

in monitoring the authority and, if necessary, to adjust the option while it is 

underway (for example, to close the VERA option after reaching the agency’s 

workforce targets). 

The agency should begin planning for VERA as soon as it appears the agency 

has a need for early retirement. This ensures that the agency has VERA 

available in time for both the agency and its employees to make the most 

effective use of the option. At the activity or subagency level, the organization 

should recognize that some lead time is required to develop the data to support 

the VERA request, to submit the VERA request to the agency's headquarters, 

and then for the headquarters to formally request OPM approval of the VERA. At 

each level the activity may be asked to clarify the VERA request, or develop 

additional data. 

Also, to ensure that there are no agency delays in planning for VERA offers, an 

agency with bargaining unit employees should review existing labor 

agreement(s) and consider whether it has any collective bargaining obligations. 

 The agency should follow any applicable procedures contained in the labor 

agreement. If, however, an agency finds it has bargaining obligations, it should 

plan for early negotiations. 

In addition, to maximize the benefit of VERA, the agency should allot sufficient 

time for key matters such as developing activity or subagency policy on the 

coverage and application of the authority, preparing the human resources staff, 

counseling employees, holding retirement seminars, computing annuities for 

those considering retirement, etc. VERA often results in an additional major 

workload for an agency's personnel staff. For example, the agency must inform 

eligible employees of the VERA opportunity. The agency must also advise 

interested employees on the amount of their annuity and related items. This 

process requires additional time and staff when eligible employees are widely 

dispersed and/or do not have access to a local personnel office. 

 

Once OPM receives an agency's VERA request, OPM promptly reviews the 

package to verify that the request is consistent with the controlling statutory and 

regulatory requirements. 

While the VERA request is pending approval at higher levels of the agency or at 

OPM, the agency should continue planning how the agency will use the option. 

The agency should also monitor whether any of the assumptions that serve as 

the basis for the VERA request have changed. 

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5. Competitive Sourcing Situations 

An agency that is undergoing a competitive sourcing study and anticipates the 

need for restructuring or workforce reduction to implement the outcome of the 

study (e.g., contracting out work or establishing a Most Efficient Organization) 

may initiate a request for VERA authority before the study is completed. 

Because of the detailed requirements related to a competitive sourcing study and 

the need for strict confidentiality in the process, it is difficult for the agency to 

forecast either the outcome of the study or the effects of the study on the 

agency’s workforce. As a result, an agency may not be able to furnish the kind of 

specific data about the positions that may be covered by a VERA. In this 

situation, the agency should submit a request to OPM projecting possible 

outcomes, presenting “if-then” scenarios for either (1) retaining the function; or 

(2) contracting out. OPM may provide the agency with contingent approval for 

the VERA option (i.e., the agency’s need for VERA would be subject to the 

outcome of the competitive sourcing study). 

Before extending VERA offers to employees, the agency must first notify OPM of 

the outcome of the competitions. If the competitive sourcing decision will result 

in the agency contracting the function, OPM will authorize immediate use of the 

VERA. If the competitive sourcing decision is to retain the function in the agency, 

the agency must provide OPM with updated information to support the VERA. 

Contingent approval benefits agencies because it: 

 Provides for early review of the agency’s VERA request by OPM; 

 Enables both the agency and OPM to respond quickly to a decision on 

the agency’s VERA request when the competitive sourcing study is 

completed; 

 Helps the agency retain skilled workers and maintain productivity in a 

competitive sourcing situation; and 

 Allows the agency to demonstrate positive efforts to assist employees 

who may be negatively affected by the results of the competitive 

sourcing study. 

6. Agency VERA Decisions 

An agency may: 

(1) Request VERA from OPM; 

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(2) Decide whether to use an approved VERA; 

(3) Decide which employees are covered by VERA; 

(4) Establish the VERA window period; and, 

(5) Determine the number of employees who may retire under the VERA.

7. VERA Request From Agency Headquarters 

An agency's request to OPM for VERA must be signed by: 

The head of the agency, or a specific designee (i.e., a senior officer or official 

within an agency who has been specifically designated to sign requests for 

VERA under a designation from the head of the agency). 

The agency should send its VERA request to OPM at: 

 

Deputy Associate Director 

Recruitment and Hiring 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management 

1900 E Street, NW. 

Room 6500 

Washington, DC 20415 

To expedite processing of the VERA, the agency may email or fax its VERA 

request to 202-606-4430. 

For additional guidance on VERA, the agency should contact OPM’s Recruitment 

and Hiring (202-606-0203). 

For more information, refer to the checklist for VERA requests in Section 25. 

8. Information in VERA Request to OPM 

The agency's request to OPM for VERA approval must contain the following 

information: 

(1) Identification of the agency or specified component(s) covered by VERA; 

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 The most important item for an agency to consider in maximizing the 

positive benefits of VERA is the agency's ability to accurately target 

the positions covered by the option. For example, to minimize the 

disruption of a reduction in force, the agency could target VERA for 

positions where (1) the incumbent is a displaced employee, or (2) an 

employee in a continuing position may retire early, allowing the 

agency to place an employee who would otherwise be involuntary 

separated in the vacant position. 

The agency planning for a substantial reduction in force or other 

restructuring action should not open a VERA window to all eligible 

employees with the goal of counting the remaining staff after the 

window closes to see if any critical positions are now vacant. The 

"shotgun" use of VERA may complicate (rather than minimize) staffing 

shortages resulting from any organizational change. The final result 

may even hamper the agency's immediate ability to carry out its 

mission. 

(2) Reasons why the agency needs VERA; 

 In its reasons for requesting VERA, the agency must include a 

detailed summary of the agency’s personnel and/or budgetary 

situation that will result in an excess of personnel because of a 

substantial delayering, reorganization, reduction in force, transfer of 

function, or other workforce restructuring or reshaping. Also, the 

agency’s reasons for VERA must be consistent with its human capital 

goals. 

If the agency requests agencywide VERA, the agency must 

summarize how its plans for organizational change will affect all its 

employees and components. However, the overall summary to OPM 

in support of agencywide VERA does not have to identify each 

location, organization, or group of employees that would be covered 

by the VERA. 

After OPM approves an agency's request to offer VERA agencywide, 

the agency has the right to restrict coverage of the authority. OPM’s 

approval letter to the agency covers the agency’s right to manage its 

VERA. 

For example, with an agencywide VERA the agency may offer early 

retirement to all its employees. At its option, the agency may limit 

VERA offers to employees on the basis of location, organizational 

unit, occupational series, grade, and/or any similar nonpersonal and 

objective factor. The agency may also offer VERA during a single 

window period, or during multiple window periods. 

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An agency may request OPM contingent approval of a VERA request 

that is based upon a pending competitive sourcing study. Since the 

agency will not have complete information until completion of the 

study, for contingent approval of VERA the agency should submit 

information based upon a worst case situation affecting the positions 

covered by the VERA request. The agency will subsequently provide 

OPM with updated information when it finalizes the competitive 

sourcing decision. 

(3) The date(s) on which the agency expects to implement the substantial 

 delayering, reorganization, reduction in force, transfer of function, or other 

 workforce restructuring or reshaping; 

(4) The time period(s) during which the agency plans to offer VERA; 

(5) The total number of non-temporary employees in the agency or specified 

 component(s) covered by the VERA; 

(6) The total number of non-temporary employees in the agency or specified 

 component(s) covered by the VERA who, without the VERA option, will be 

 involuntarily separated, downgraded, transferred, or reassigned as a result 

 of the substantial delayering, reorganization, reduction in force, transfer of 

 function, or other workforce restructuring or reshaping; 

(7) The total number of non-temporary employees in the agency or specified 

 component(s) covered by the VERA who are eligible for voluntary early 

 retirement; 

(8) An estimate of the total number of non-temporary employees in the 

 agency or specified component(s) covered by the request for VERA who 

 are expected to actually retire during the period covered by the request for 

 VERA; 

 A critical step for the agency in evaluating the effectiveness of a 

potential VERA is to first determine the number of employees eligible 

for VERA, estimate the number of employees who may actually retire 

early, and then assess the results of allowing these employees to retire 

by VERA (e.g., savings from a net reduction in personnel, positions 

available to restaff with different skills, placement opportunities for 

displaced employees). In projecting savings or attrition from VERA, the 

agency should not assume that all or even most of the employees 

eligible for VERA will actually retire. However, when using VERA in 

conjunction with VSIP, most agencies can expect a higher acceptance 

rate of the VERA option. 

 

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(9) A description of the types of personnel actions that the agency anticipates 

may be necessary as a result of the agency’s need for VERA. 

Examples of personnel actions include separations, transfers, 

reassignments, and downgradings. 

9. Basis for OPM Approval of VERA Request 

OPM may approve an agency’s VERA request if OPM determines that the 

agency (or a component) meets the following conditions: 

(1) The agency is undergoing substantial delayering, reorganization, 

reduction in force, transfer of function, or other workforce restructuring; 

and 

(2) A significant percentage of the agency’s employees are likely to be 

involuntarily separated or demoted because of one or more of the reasons 

in (i) above, or the agency has identified employees in positions that are 

becoming surplus or excess to the agency’s future ability to effectively 

carry out its mission. 

OPM may require an agency to forward overdue interim and final reports 

on a previous VERA before OPM approves a new VERA for the agency. 

OPM's approval letter to the agency contains the VERA reporting 

requirements. 

10. OPM Evaluation of VERA Request 

OPM will evaluate an agency’s VERA request based upon: 

(1) A specific request from the agency for the VERA option; 

(2) A VSIP implementation plan, which must outline the agency’s intended 

use of both VERA and VSIP; or 

(3) The agency’s human capital plan, which must outline its intended use of 

both VERA and VSIP, and the changes in organizational structure that the 

agency expects to make as the result of projected separations for both 

VERA and VSIP. 

Regardless of the method used, the agency’s VERA request must include 

all of the information covered in Section 8 above. 

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11. Maximum Time Period for VERA Option 

OPM may approve an agency’s VERA request to be effective through: 

(1) The entire period of the agency’s substantial delayering, reorganization, 

reduction in force, transfer of function, or other workforce restructuring or 

reshaping; or 

(2) The initial portion of the period covered in subparagraph (1) with a 

requirement for subsequent information and justification if the period 

covers multiple years. 

12. General Eligibility for VERA 

To be eligible to retire under VERA, an employee must: 

(1) Meet the VERA minimum age and service requirements (i.e., the 

employee has completed at least 20 years of creditable service and is at 

least age 50, or has completed at least 25 years of creditable service 

regardless of age); 

 The minimum age and service requirements are set by statute in 5 

U.S.C. 8336(d)(2) for CSRS employees, and in 5 U.S.C. 8414(b)(1) 

for FERS employees. OPM has no authority to waive either the 

minimum age or service requirement for VERA eligibility. 

(2) Have been continuously employed by the agency for at least 31 days 

before the date that the agency initially requested OPM approval of VERA; 

(3) Hold a position that is not a time-limited appointment; 

(4) Have not received a final removal decision based upon misconduct, or 

unacceptable performance; 

(5) Hold a position covered by the agency’s VERA; and 

(6) Retire under the VERA option during the agency’s VERA window. 

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13. Employees on Active Duty in the Armed Forces 

An employee on active duty in the Armed Forces who would otherwise be eligible 

for a VERA offer will have 30 days following restoration to the agency to accept 

or reject the agency’s offer of VERA. 

The restored employee has the right to accept or reject the agency’s offer of 

VERA even if the authority approved by OPM has expired. 

14. Use of Annual Leave to Reach Initial Eligibility for an 

 Immediate Annuity 

An employee has the right to use accrued annual leave and remain on the 

agency's rolls past the effective date of reduction in force separation in 

order to: 

(1) Gain title to an immediate annuity; and/or 

(2) Continue health benefits coverage into retirement. 

An employee who will be separated by adverse action after declining geographic 

relocation to a position in a different local commuting area has the same right to 

use annual leave to reach initial eligibility to an immediate annuity; and/or 

continuation of health benefits participation into retirement. 

The agency may not retain the employee past the date the employee first 

becomes eligible for an immediate annuity, and/or continuation of health benefits 

into retirement. When applicable, the agency must retain the employee long 

enough to meet the initial eligibility requirements for both an immediate annuity 

and continuation of health benefits into retirement. 

An employee is required to have enough annual leave to cover any part of the 

day on which the employee establishes eligibility for benefits under the 

authorizing statute. For example, an employee needs 30 workdays of annual 

leave to reach first eligibility for voluntary early retirement, but the employee has 

accumulated annual leave that only covers 29 workdays and one hour on the 

30th day. The employee has enough leave to establish title to an immediate 

annuity because the one hour of annual leave covers part of the 30th day (i.e., 

the day eligibility is established). 

There is no language in either the authorizing statute or in regulations that 

provides an employee with the right to always choose between VERA or 

discontinued service retirement. The law simply provides that the displaced 

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employee has the right to use annual leave to gain title to an immediate annuity. 

This means that an agency may properly limit a displaced employee to a 

discontinued service retirement, rather than VERA, as the basis to establish 

initial eligibility for an immediate annuity. 

15. VERA Offers Must Be Consistent With OPMApproved Authority 

An agency may offer VERA only as authorized in the agency-specific authority 

approved by OPM. 

An agency may not offer or process VERA actions beyond the expiration date 

stated in the VERA approved by OPM. 

An agency may not offer VERA to employees not covered in the VERA approved 

by OPM. 

16. Organizational Basis for VERA Offers 

An agency may offer VERA only on the basis of organizational considerations 

such as one or more of the following nonpersonal factors: 

(1) Organizational unit(s); 

(2) Classification series, occupations, and/or grade levels; 

(3) Geographical location(s); 

(4) Specific VERA window(s); 

(5) Skills, knowledge, or other factors related to a position; or 

(6) Any combination of the five factors in subparagraphs (i) through (v) above 

that the agency determines to be appropriate and necessary to implement 

the agency's VERA. 

17. Selecting Employees for VERA 

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After an agency opens a window for a VERA, the agency may limit VERA offers 

by: 

(1) An established opening and closing dates that the agency announces to 

employees at the time of the initial VERA offer; or 

(2) Receipt of a specified number of applications for VERA, provided that, at 

the time of the initial offer, the agency notified employees of its right to 

limit retirements on that basis. 

If the agency finds that the situation justifying the VERA has changed, at 

its option the agency may subsequently establish a revised closing date 

for the VERA window. The agency may also decrease or increase the 

number of VERA applications it will accept. Both the amended VERA 

closing date and revised number of VERA applications must be covered 

by the VERA authority approved by OPM. 

If the agency revises the closing date of its VERA window and/or revises 

the number of VERA applications it will accept from eligible employees, 

the agency must announce the new VERA closing date and/or ceiling on 

VERA applications to the same group of employees included in the 

agency’s original VERA announcement. The agency may also offer the 

revised VERA to a different group of employees who are covered by the 

VERA approved by OPM. 

If the agency plans to terminate the VERA window before the original 

planned expiration date, the agency should consider allowing eligible 

employees to change the effective date of their VERA retirements to 

precede the new expiration date of the window. 

18. Additional Options to Select Employees for VERA 

(1) At its option, the agency may administratively implement a fair and 

objective procedure to determine which employees may separate for a 

VERA when more employees apply for a VERA than the agency can 

accommodate. 

(2) As another option, the agency may administratively implement a policy 

that stipulates when and under what circumstances employees will be 

allowed to withdraw their VERA application. The policy may specify that: 

(a) Employees will be allowed to subsequently decline separating by 

VERA even after signing the applicable forms; 

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(b) Employees will not be allowed to subsequently decline separating 

by VERA after signing the applicable forms; or 

(c) The decision to allow an employee to subsequently decline 

separating by VERA after signing the applicable forms will be made 

on a case by case basis for a reason such as hardship. 

19. Waiver of the Usual Participation Requirement to 

Continue Health Benefits into Retirement 

An agency offering VERA or VSIP may be covered by a waiver of the usual 

participation requirement to continue health benefits into retirement. 

To continue Federal health insurance into retirement, employees must generally 

meet a requirement of being enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits 

Program for at least 5 years prior to retirement, or since their first opportunity to 

enroll. Otherwise, the employee must request that OPM waive the 5-year 

participation requirement. 

The agency's benefits officer can assist employees in requesting a waiver from 

OPM. The benefits officer can also determine if an employee who is retiring from 

an agency with current VERA or VSIP authority is eligible for a blanket waiver of 

the 5-year participation requirement under Benefits Administration Letter (BAL) 

04-208, dated September 8, 2004. 

BAL 04-208 covers “Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Participation 

Requirements for Employees Retiring During a Period of Voluntary Separation 

Incentive Payments or Voluntary Early Retirement Authority.” BAL 04-208 

explains OPM’s policy on waivers of the usual participation requirements for 

employees who retire during a period during which their agency has statutory 

authority to offer VERA or VSIP. 

BAL 04-208 is available from OPM’s website at www.opm.gov. 

20. Ensuring that VERA Retirements are Voluntary 

The agency is responsible for ensuring that employees are not coerced into 

retiring under a VERA, or that the employee’s decision to retire under the VERA 

was not based on erroneous or misleading information. 

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When announcing an opportunity to retire under a VERA, the agency should 

inform its employees that VERA is a voluntary action by the employee. If the 

agency finds that an employee was coerced into VERA retirement, the agency 

has the responsibility to take appropriate corrective action. An employee who 

retires under VERA, but who believes that the retirement was involuntary, may 

appeal the basis for the retirement to the Merit Systems Protection Board. 

21. Processing VERA Retirements 

Chapter 30 of the “Guide to Processing Personnel Actions” contains instructions 

for agencies to process personnel actions for employees who retire under VERA. 

The Guide is available on OPM’s website at www.opm.gov. 

OPM’s letter to the agency approving the VERA option also contains the Nature 

of Action Codes used to document VERA retirements. 

Chapter 43 of the "CSRS and FERS Handbook" also contains information used 

by agencies to process employees' applications for VERA. 

The Handbook is available on OPM’s website at www.opm.gov. 

22. Agency Management of VERA 

After OPM approves a VERA, the agency is required to notify OPM immediately 

if there are any subsequent changes in the conditions that served as the basis for 

OPM approving the VERA. 

In addition to a VERA approval letter, OPM also provides the agency with 

guidance covering proper management of the VERA option. 

23. 5HVHUYHG

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24. OPM Oversight of VERA 

OPM may modify or terminate an agency's VERA if OPM determines that the 

agency: 

(1) Is no longer undergoing the substantial delayering, reorganization, 

reduction in force, transfer of function, or other workforce restructuring that 

was the basis for OPM's approval of the VERA; or 

(2) Did not administer the authority in a manner that is consistent with 

applicable law or regulation. 
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25. Checklist for VERA Request 

Checklist for VERA Requests

This checklist provides agencies with a framework for submitting requests to OPM for 

Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA). An agency requesting OPM approval of 

VERA for its employees should complete each section of this template to ensure that its 

request is properly submitted. All of the information covered in this VERA template is 

required by statute or regulation. 

Agency: ____________________________________________ 

Component(s): ____________________________________________ 

Date of Request: ____________________________________________ 

1.a. ___ Request is signed by the head of the agency or a specific designee with 

 delegated authority. 

1.b. ___ Request identifies the agency or organizational unit(s) for which a 

 determination is requested. 

2. ____ Clearly states reason(s) why the authority is needed: 

This should describe the circumstances leading to the request and explain 

why the agency believes that VERA will be an appropriate strategy for making 

the required adjustments in the workforce. This must include a detailed 

summary of the agency’s personnel and/or budgetary situation that will result 

in an excess of personnel because of a substantial delayering, reorganization, 

reduction in force, transfer of function, or other workforce restructuring or 

reshaping. 

3. ____ Identify the date on which the agency expects to effect the substantial 

 delayering, etc. 

 The date provided should not be earlier than the ending date provided 

 in number 4 below. 

4. ____ Show the time period during which the agency plans to offer VERA. 

5. ____ Provide the total number of non-temporary employees in the agency or 

 component of the agency undergoing change. 

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If you are requesting VERA for only a part of your organization, provide the 

data for that portion of the organization only. Do not provide the number of 

permanent employees for the entire organization. 
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6. ____ Provide the total number of non-temporary employees in the agency 

 who may be involuntarily separated, downgraded, transferred, or 

 reassigned as a result of the agency’s situation. 

If you are requesting VERA for only a part of your organization, provide the 

data for that portion of the organization only. Do not provide this number for 

the entire organization. 

7. ____ Provide the total number of employees in the agency/organization who 

 are eligible for early retirement. 

If you are requesting VERA for only a part of your organization, provide the 

data for that portion of the organization only. Do not provide the number for 

the entire organization. Also, for this purpose, you should exclude all 

employees who are eligible for optional retirement. 

8. ____ Include an estimate of the total number of employees in the 

 agency/organization who are expected to take early retirement. The 

 number is_____________. 

If you are requesting VERA for only a part of your organization, provide the 

data for that portion of the organization only. Do not provide the number for 

the entire organization.) 

9. ____ Provide a description of the types of personnel actions anticipated as a 

 result of the agency’s need for VERA. 

This information need not be comprehensive. It should, however, be detailed 

enough to show how VERA will assist you in accomplishing your 

restructuring, reshaping, and/or downsizing plans—and the personnel actions 

you expect to take in concert with VERA to accomplish your goals. 

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ES/SWP-02803-03-17

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Employee Services

1900 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20415

OPM.GOV