The General Services Administration is planning further cuts to its workforce by early May through a combination of voluntary incentives to leave the agency and nonvoluntary layoffs.
GSA is offering Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP) to employees. Wednesday is the first day eligible employees can apply for early retirement and buyouts.
GSA Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer Jeremy Taylor told employees in an email the agency will accept VERA and VSIP applications through April 4.
Employees who accept the VERA/VSIP will separate from the agency no later than May 3.
“Employees may apply for a VERA only, or a VSIP in combination with a resignation, a regular optional retirement, or early retirement (VERA),” Taylor wrote.
Employees laid off through an ongoing Reduction in Force (RIF) are eligible to apply to the VERA/VSIP, but Taylor said RIF’d employees are prohibited from receiving both a VSIP payment and severance.
The maximum amount agencies can offer in a VSIP is $25,000. Federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) are eligible for voluntary early retirement if they’re at least 50 years of age, with at least 20 years of service, or any age with at least 25 years of service.
This is GSA’s latest step to shrink its workforce. The agency laid off hundreds of employees earlier this month, as part of an ongoing Reduction in Force (RIF). Employees who received RIF notices must also separate from the agency no later than May 3.
Thomas Shedd, director of GSA’s Technology Transformation Services, told employees that staff in two divisions — the Talent Division and Market Development & Partnerships Division — were laid off.
The Talent Division focused on hiring and onboarding decisions. MD&P oversaw several functions, including lead generation, account management and customer satisfaction.
Shedd said affected employees have received an email with their official termination notice. TTS already cut about 50% of its workforce earlier this month.
Diem ‘Richard’ Nguyen