NASA LaRC Memo: Buyout Notice
To: (All Langley Civil Servants)
From: “Sandi Ray, LaRC”
Subject: 2004 Buyout Notice
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 21:19:52 -0500
TO: All Langley Civil Service Employees
FROM: 120/Deputy Director, Office of Human Resources
SUBJECT: Buyout Notice
The Langley Research Center buyout request to rebalance the Center’s workforce to align with current NASA mission, vision, and strategy has now been approved by the Office of Personnel Management. This will be Langley’s only buyout opportunity for fiscal year 2004. The skill categories eligible for this buyout opportunity and the numbers of separations that can be approved are attached to this document and will be posted on the Office of Human Resources buyout Web site (http://ohr.larc.nasa.gov/buyout/).
The size of the buyout is based on the Center’s ability to afford the costs associated with the buyout. We will only have ONE Buyout in FY04 so this will be the only opportunity to separate with a buyout incentive this fiscal year. Therefore, it is essential that you look closely at the list of skills and the number of positions in each skill that will be allowed to separate. If you have questions after you have reviewed the list, please contact the Office of Human Resources at extension 49277.
Ground rules by which this buyout will be managed and “Buyout Questions and Answers” (http://ohr.larc.nasa.gov/buyout/buyout_groundrules.pdf and http://ohr.larc.nasa.gov/buyout/buyout_qas.pdf) will be posted on the OHR buyout Web site until the end of the buyout period. In order to assure fairness to all interested persons, there will be no exceptions to either the ground rules or other details as outlined.
Basic Eligibility and Coverage:
Only full-time permanent and part-time permanent employees of the Center are eligible for separation with buyout. Employees on other types of appointments (e.g. temporary, term, and cooperative education appointments) are ineligible for the buyout.
Only those employees separating with a buyout may receive an early out.
Employees must be in the organizations and meet the specific skill, occupational and grade level as defined in the “Skills Buyout Request” document (http://ohr.larc.nasa.gov/buyout/buyout_skills.xls) posted on the OHR web site.
There are additional restrictions on eligibility for the buyout pertaining to employees who have received certain retention, relocation, or recruiting incentives, who are eligible for disability retirement, who have previously received voluntary separation incentives, or who have been notified of involuntary separation.
Buyout Amount:
Employees separating with a buyout will receive an amount equal to their calculated severance pay entitlement up to a maximum of $25,000. A formula for estimating the buyout amount that you may receive is available at http://ohrm.doc.gov/employees/veravsip.htm. Please remember that, even if your severance pay calculation exceeds the $25,000, that is the maximum amount allowed. If you have questions regarding the calculations, please contact Latarsha Wideman at extension 41044. The official buyout amount will be determined after employees have submitted their application for the buyout.
Other Conditions
If you accept a buyout, you may not be employed elsewhere in the Federal service for 5 years following separation without repaying prior to the first day of reemployment, the full amount (before tax amount) of the incentive you received. Employment under a personal services contract, as well as employment for compensation is including in this prohibition. Questions about this matter should be directed to the Office of Chief Counsel at 864-3221.
Process:
The buyout application form on the OHR buyout Web site (http://ohr.larc.nasa.gov/buyout/buyout_application.pdf) or can be picked up in the Personnel Operations Branch, OHR, Building 1195C, Room 156, each workday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Applications must be complete to be accepted.
The buyout application form can be delivered to the above location no earlier than 8 a.m. on February 4, 2004. No applications will be accepted after 4:30 p.m. on February 13, 2004. No employee may apply for the buyout by e-mail or fax. As stated above, this will be LaRC’s only Buyout Open Period for FY 04, so if you are interested in this buyout, please avail yourself of this opportunity if you are in one of the targeted skill areas.
All potential retirement candidates are required to access http://benefitstatement.nasa.gov to review your initial retirement estimate. If you have forgotten or lost your password, please contact Patricia Howard at extension 42602 to receive a new password. This site gives you an excellent overview of what your benefits will be if you retire or resign from NASA LaRC. After you have received a notice that you have been approved for the buyout, you may contact Linda Park for a final retirement estimate.
Buyout Extensions:
Separations, whether by retirement or resignation must occur no later than April 3, 2004.
Extension of the buyout period will only be granted in cases when an otherwise eligible employee whose departure during the approved buyout period would have a significant negative impact on major milestones. Approval of extensions, if any, will be on a case- by-case basis. Extension requests should be originated by the appropriate Competency or Office Head and sent to the Associate Director for concurrence and routing to the Center Director for approval. BUYOUT EXTENSION REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN ONE WEEK AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE BUYOUT APPLICATION WINDOW.
The OHR will report on the progress of the buyout process and will update the application status by 10 a.m. each workday. No skill category will be closed to applicants until the final number of separations has occurred (or until the buyout application period ends).
If you have any questions about the buyout process, or your eligibility for it, I urge you to visit the OHR buyout Web site referenced above or call your servicing Human Resources Specialist.
This notice is also available on the OHR Buyout Web site, http://ohr.larc.nasa.gov/buyout/buyout_notice.pdf
Sandra S. Ray
Deputy Director, Office of Human Resources
