Buyouts
Agencies spent nearly $10 billion for feds not to work in 2025
The use of paid administrative leave as part of the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, an effort to entice federal workers to quit, across government in 2025 was 435% higher than two years prior, according to a new GAO report.
House panel advances bill to update federal worker buyout caps
Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments offered to federal workers during agency downsizings, have been capped at $25,000 since the 1990s. Newly advanced legislation would tie maximum payouts to half of an employee’s annual salary.
SBA investigating staff for talking to press, former colleagues
SBA’s general counsel warned staff Monday it was investigating employee communications with media and former colleagues in a memo. It was promptly shared with reporters.
As agencies begin a second round of deferred resignations, unions revive legal challenge
The Housing and Urban Development Department became the latest agency to revive the controversial program that offers feds the chance to leave their jobs but continue being paid until Sept. 30.
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Federal judge clears way for 'deferred resignations'
U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. found that unions must first adjudicate their claims before the Merit Systems Protection Board or Federal Labor Relations Authority before suing in court.
OPM continues to tweak 'deferred resignation' provisions as unions press court challenge
As the parties await a written decision from a federal judge in Massachusetts, unions fighting the controversial ‘Fork in the Road’ directive have highlighted how recent Trump firings could limit federal workers’ legal recourse.
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Judge extends pause on ‘deferred resignation’ deadline
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole reportedly said he was considering converting the existing temporary restraining order blocking the administration from advancing its deferred resignation program into a preliminary injunction, but he did not indicate how he would rule in the case.
Making sense of the chaotic state of the civil service
COMMENTARY | Answers to eight questions you may be struggling with after the “deferred resignation” offer.
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Trump administration’s 'deferred resignation' deadline blocked until next week
OPM is required to notify all employees who received an initial "deferred resignation" offer by Thursday evening that the deadline for accepting the legally dubious offer has been pushed until Monday.
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Agencies ramp up pressure on their workers to quit
New guidance continues to defend the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" program as legal, though it fails to address its apparent violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act.
OPM will grant VERA authority to all agencies, as confusion around ‘deferred resignation’ program continues
With just one week before the deadline, many federal workers are still unclear whether they can trust the Trump administration’s offer, or if they are even eligible for it.
Figuring out the ‘Fork in the Road’
The Trump administration’s “deferred resignation” offer has federal employees scrambling for answers and facing tough choices.
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Employee groups, Democrats, experts warn feds not to accept ‘deferred resignation’ offer
The lack of a legal underpinning for the purported eight-month severance package, and Elon Musk’s history of offering—and then revoking—severance payments have many federal workers wary of the measure.
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Trump reportedly will offer 'buyouts' to all 2 million federal workers
The White House’s plan to offer “deferred resignations” that pay departing federal employees their salary through Sept. 30 will likely run afoul of rules governing buyout payments.
FDIC to Offer Separation Incentives to One-Fifth of Its Workforce
Agency says effort is not a cost-cutting move, though it is also closing field offices.
Lawmakers Question TSP Foreign Investment Decisions, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
TSP Flexibilities Are Weeks Away, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
USDA Slashes Buyout Payments for Scientific Agency Employees By 60% Ahead of Relocation
Employees of research agencies have less than a week to decide whether to accept $10,000 voluntary separation payments, despite being offered upwards of $25,000 in June.
EPA to Close a Las Vegas Office, Reassign Employees
Agency to seek buyout, early retirement authority despite restrictions from Congress.
Democrats Ramp Up Attacks on Agriculture’s Planned Office Relocations
With a site announcement imminent, lawmakers demand documents and move to block plan.
Early Retirement, Severance Options Unclear for Forest Service Workers Facing Layoffs
The decision to eliminate 1,100 Forest Service jobs by Sept. 30 leaves a lot of unanswered questions for employees.
