NASA Internal Memo: Goddard’s Buyout/Early Out Incentive Plan

Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:52:11 -0500
To: gsfc-civil@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov
From: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Subject: Goddard’s Buyout/Early Out Incentive Plan

Goddard Colleagues:

As you are aware, NASA is in the process of a major transformation designed to realign the Agency and implement the Vision for Space Exploration. To achieve this vision, NASA faces many challenges including re-shaping the NASA workforce to successfully meet changing mission requirements. In order to refocus the skill mix of our workforce to become more effectively aligned with current and anticipated funded work requirements, each Directorate has evaluated its workforce requirements and has identified eligible categories of positions that may be experiencing either a workforce surplus or that may be impacted by a possible reduction in work requirements and/or reduced funding in the immediate or near future. The eligible categories of positions are based entirely upon a combination of factors such as position competencies, position titles, geographic location, and/or grade levels. Goddard’s Buyout/Early Out Incentive Plan has been approved.

Supervisors will give eligible employees a notification letter prepared by the Office of Human Capital Management as expeditiously as possible. The letter will include a Buyout/Early Out Application. If you do not receive a letter, then your position is not included in a category of positions that is eligible for the FY08 Buyout/Early Out.

The Buyout/Early Out window is open beginning today, Monday, November 19, 2007 through 4:30 p.m. Friday, November 30, 2007. Employees who are approved for the Buyout/Early Out must be off the rolls by January 3, 2008 and may retire/resign as early as December 15, 2007. Eligible employees who voluntarily leave GSFC by no later than January 3, 2008 with an approved buyout will receive an amount equal to their calculated severance pay entitlement, up to a maximum of $25,000. An overview of the Buyouts/Early Outs being offered is as follows:

Distribution of the Center’s 120 Buyouts:

# of Buyouts/Early Outs

Code 150 Office of the Chief Financial Officer 6
Code 300 Office of Systems Safety and Mission Assurance 6
Code 500 Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate 34
Code 600 Sciences and Exploration Directorate 50
Code 700 Information Technology and Communications Directorate 24
TOTAL FOR THE CENTER 120

If you have questions about the Buyout/Early Out process for eligible positions, there are Frequently Asked Questions available for review on the Office of Human Capital Management Website under Hot Topics ( http://ohcm.gsfc.nasa.gov/Hot/home.htm) or you can contact the Workforce Help Line at 301-286-7918 or via email at workforce@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov.

Verron M. Brade, Director
Office of Human Capital Management