To RIF or Not to RIF

(August 29, 2014) Reduction in force is a term that frightens most federal workers. It means uncertainty, potential loss of a job, disruption, and usually more questions than answers. Politicians (even the ones who want to shrink the federal government) oppose them. So do managers, unions, and most people who write about government issues. Most […]

Working until age 80 due to lack of retirement savings could represent the future

Here is an interesting article on retirement from May 2014: During his 26 years at a packaging company in Charlotte, N.C., Pat Baines climbed the ladder to become plant manager and then a vice-president. When a new company took over and asked Pat to transfer to a job in California, he chose early retirement, at […]

OPM Blames USPS Early Out Retirement Claims Partially Responsible for Backlog

The Office of Personnel Management is months behind schedule in eliminating the retirement claims backlog because of mandatory budget cuts and an influx of new applications from the Postal Service earlier this year, according to an update released on Monday. The agency hopes to clear up the backlog, which now stands at 25,601 claims, by […]

OWCP Issues Guidance For Offsetting Postal Employees on Workers’ Comp Lump-Sum Retirement Incentive Payments

From Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation: April 10, 2013 PURPOSE: This circular is being issued to provide supplemental guidance on the necessary claims actions when a claimant in receipt of disability compensation receives a lump-sum incentive payment from the United States Postal Service (USPS) as the result of (1) choosing optional retirement pursuant […]

Upsurge in February retirements causes backlog to balloon–Will It Affect Postal Retirees?

PostalReporter Reader: OPM must be backlogged. Normally they send a Civil Service Annuity (CSA) number within 2 weeks followed by a temporary annuity statement…25,000 USPS retirees may be missing their first retirement check today. A woman whose VER paperwork was finished by HRSSC & sent to OPM in early January was not paid today. She […]

FERS Employees May Be Eligible for Annuity Supplement

APWU Web News Article #143-12, Nov. 28, 2012 USPS Retirement Incentive Information Newsbreak, 10/01/12: USPS Offers Retirement Opportunity   To APWU Employees [PDF] LiteBlue: APWU Incentive at a Glance [PDF] LiteBlue:   Frequently Asked Questions [PDF] Employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) who are contemplating retirement should consider that they may be eligible […]

APWU employees face decision

Incentive offer deadline Full-time career  employees in the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) bargaining units have  until Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at 8:30 p.m. EST to take advantage of their special  incentive offer. Part-time employees and non-traditional, full-time  employees with schedules less than 40 hours per week have until Jan. 4, 2013 to  accept the […]

USPS To Offer Early Retirement

PMG Pat Donahoe has announced a new senior management structure representing a flatter, leaner organization with the flexibility to more quickly adapt to coming changes. Donahoe also said: “The Executive Leadership Team and I have worked collaboratively with many others to create a smaller, more efficient structure that will empower senior executives with authority and […]

Postal Employee Who Retired Under Early Retirement Is Challenging OPM Over FERS Annuity Supplement

My name is Lennis B. Reynolds I am a retired Postal employee who took a VER/Incentive offer in August 2009. I am taking OPM to MSPB about the FERS Annuity Supplement. The difference without the Supplement is $1000.00 per month in retirement income. To : Honorable Howard J. Ansorge Administrative Judge Central Regional Office 230 […]

Early Retirement Rumors: Again, APWU Says: Don’t Go!

Burrus Update Rumors about Voluntary Early Retirement offers are once again circulating throughout the Postal Service, and employees are evaluating the possibilities. Let me state plainly: * There have been no discussions with postal management about offering new monetary incentives as an enticement for retiring. * If incentives are contemplated at some future date, the […]