ALG's Jim Eisenmann Appears on 60 Minutes to Discuss the MSPB
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Alden Law Group, PLLC

Washington, DC Federal Employment + Labor Attorneys

  • About Us
  • What We Do
    • Employment Contracts
    • Employees’ Workplace Obligations
    • Discrimination & Harassment
    • Federal Employees
    • Security Clearances
    • D.C. Employees
    • Leaves of Absences
    • Privacy
    • Virginia Employees
    • Wage & Hour
    • Whistleblowing
    • Wrongful Discharge
    • Human Resources & Advice for Employers
  • Who We Are
    • Kristin D. Alden
    • Michelle F. Bercovici
    • Wynter P. Allen
    • James Eisenmann
    • Ross E. Fishbein
    • Dominick Schumacher
    • Philip A. Mueller
  • Media
  • Resources
    • Notable Cases
    • Testimonials
    • About Consultations
    • FAQs
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Federal Employees

Home / Practice Areas / Federal Employees / VERA/VSIP

VERA/VSIP

With on-going discussion of anticipated government downsizing, you may be considering your options and those options may include retirement and voluntary “VERA/VSIP” buyouts.  You may also wonder what happens if there is a reduction in force, or “RIF”.

Agencies seeking to reduce their workforce may offer some employees incentives, called VERA or VSIP, to voluntarily leave the government so the agency can minimize or avoid involuntary separations through RIFs – reductions in force.  Executive branch agencies can seek approval from OPM to offer VERA/VSIP in an effort to reduce the federal workforce in the event of agency restructuring or government downsizing.   Some agencies, such as the Department of Defense have been granted agency-specific VERA authority and do not have to obtain OPM approval to use this option.

Under Voluntary Early Retirement Authority – VERA - an employee may retire early if they meet the general eligibility requirements. The employee must:

  1. Meet the minimum age and service requirements -
  2. At least age 50 with at least 20 years creditable federal service, OR
  3. Any age with at least 25 years creditable federal service;
  4. Have served in a position covered by the OPM authorization for the minimum time specified by OPM (usually 30 days prior to the date of the agency request);
  5. Serve in a position covered by the agency's VERA plan; and
  6. Separate by the close of the early-out period.

Before accepting a VERA offer, you should ask your agency’s personnel or retirement office for an estimate of your retirement benefits so you know what to expect.  Ask for estimates under VERA and also under regular retirement, so you can make an informed decision.

VSIP is a buy-out plan where agencies are allowed to give employees up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate, either by retirement or resignation. This figure may go up soon.  To be eligible, the employee must be in a designated surplus position or have skills no longer needed.  The employee must:

  1. Be serving in an appointment without time limit;
  2. Be continuously employed by the Executive Branch for at least 3 years;
  3. Be serving in a position covered by an agency VSIP plan (i.e., in the specific geographic area, organization, series and grade);
  4. Apply for and receive approval for a VSIP from the agency making the VSIP offer; and
  5. Not be covered by the seven categories of ineligibilities. (You can find these on the OPM VSIP page)

There are some additional specific provisions applicable to VERA and VSIP for DoD employees (you can find more in the DoD guidance).

Primary Sidebar

PRACTICE AREAS

  • Employment Contracts
    • Executive Employment Agreements
    • Non-Compete Agreements
    • Non-Solicitation Agreements
    • Separation Agreements
  • Employees’ Workplace Obligations
    • Trade Secrets, Duty of Loyalty
  • Discrimination & Harassment
    • Sex
    • LGBTQ + Gender Identity
    • Family Responsibility
    • National Origin
    • Religion
    • Disability and Requests for Accommodations
    • HIV Status
    • Age Discrimination
    • Hostile work environment & Harassment
    • Pay Discrimination, Equal Pay Act
    • Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
    • Retaliation
  • Federal Employees
    • Congressional Accountability Act
    • Discrimination in Federal Sector
    • Discipline and Other Adverse Actions in Federal Sector
    • Foreign Service Officers
    • Government Ethics
    • Agency Internal Grievance Systems
    • Intelligence Community
    • Federal Sector Labor Unions
    • Law Enforcement in Federal Sector
    • Inspector General and OPR Investigations
    • Union Grievances in Federal Sector
    • VERA/VSIP
    • Whistleblowing in Federal Sector
  • Security Clearances
  • D.C. Employees
    • Office of Employee Appeals
    • D.C. Employees Discrimination Complaints
    • Union Grievance Processes
    • D.C. Government Whistleblowing Rights
  • Leaves of Absences
    • Family Medical Leave Act
    • Uniformed Service Members
    • District of Columbia Leave Laws
  • Privacy
    • Medical Inquires
    • FOIA
    • Privacy Act
    • Medical Records
  • Virginia Employees
    • Virginia State Grievance Process
    • Virginia County Grievance Process
    • Virginia State Employee Whistleblowing Rights
  • Wage & Hour
    • Federal Fair Labor Standards Act
    • Wage and Hour in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
  • Whistleblowing
    • Federal Employees
    • Sarbanes-Oxley & SEC Whistleblowing
    • Federal Government Contractors
    • Equal Employment Opportunity Retaliation
    • The Occupational Safety and Health Whistleblowers Laws
    • D.C. Government Whistleblowing Rights
    • Virginia State Employee Whistleblowing Rights
  • Wrongful Discharge
  • Human Resources & Advice for Employers
    • Employee Handbooks
    • Hiring & Firing
    • Management Investigations
    • Workplace Training
Best Lawyers Award Badge
2020 Top Lawyers - Northern Virginia Magazine
Top Lawyer 2020 - Washingtonian

Want to schedule an appointment?

LET’S CONNECT

Footer

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Contact Us

1850 M Street, NW
Suite 901
Washington. DC 20036

(855) 463-0300
(202) 463-0300
(855) 463-0301 (fax)
(202) 463-0301 (fax)

Our Team

  • Kristin D. Alden
  • Michelle F. Bercovici
  • Wynter P. Allen
  • James Eisenmann
  • Ross E. Fishbein
  • Dominick Schumacher
  • Philip A. Mueller

Practice Areas

  • Employment Contracts
    • Executive Employment Agreements
    • Non-Compete Agreements
    • Non-Solicitation Agreements
    • Separation Agreements
  • Employees’ Workplace Obligations
    • Trade Secrets, Duty of Loyalty
  • Discrimination & Harassment
    • Sex
    • LGBTQ + Gender Identity
    • Family Responsibility
    • National Origin
    • Religion
    • Disability and Requests for Accommodations
    • HIV Status
    • Age Discrimination
    • Hostile work environment & Harassment
    • Pay Discrimination, Equal Pay Act
    • Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
    • Retaliation
  • Federal Employees
    • Congressional Accountability Act
    • Discrimination in Federal Sector
    • Discipline and Other Adverse Actions in Federal Sector
    • Foreign Service Officers
    • Government Ethics
    • Agency Internal Grievance Systems
    • Intelligence Community
    • Federal Sector Labor Unions
    • Law Enforcement in Federal Sector
    • Inspector General and OPR Investigations
    • Union Grievances in Federal Sector
    • VERA/VSIP
    • Whistleblowing in Federal Sector
  • Security Clearances
  • D.C. Employees
    • Office of Employee Appeals
    • D.C. Employees Discrimination Complaints
    • Union Grievance Processes
    • D.C. Government Whistleblowing Rights
  • Leaves of Absences
    • Family Medical Leave Act
    • Uniformed Service Members
    • District of Columbia Leave Laws
  • Privacy
    • Medical Inquires
    • FOIA
    • Privacy Act
    • Medical Records
  • Virginia Employees
    • Virginia State Grievance Process
    • Virginia County Grievance Process
    • Virginia State Employee Whistleblowing Rights
  • Wage & Hour
    • Federal Fair Labor Standards Act
    • Wage and Hour in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
  • Whistleblowing
    • Federal Employees
    • Sarbanes-Oxley & SEC Whistleblowing
    • Federal Government Contractors
    • Equal Employment Opportunity Retaliation
    • The Occupational Safety and Health Whistleblowers Laws
    • D.C. Government Whistleblowing Rights
    • Virginia State Employee Whistleblowing Rights
  • Wrongful Discharge
  • Human Resources & Advice for Employers
    • Employee Handbooks
    • Hiring & Firing
    • Management Investigations
    • Workplace Training

Ready to Go?

    Disclaimer: While we are happy to have you contact us by telephone, surface mail, electronic mail or fax, merely contacting the Alden Law Group, PLLC or any Alden Law Group, PLLC attorney does not create an attorney-client relationship until a written agreement has been reached between you and the firm to handle a particular matter. The formation of an attorney-client relationship requires us to do several things, including resolution of possible conflicts of interest and executing an appropriate fee arrangement and mutual agreement identifying the terms of the engagement. Although any information we receive will be considered confidential and private, do not send us any information you regard as confidential until a formal attorney-client relationship has been established. Any information you convey to the Alden Law Group, PLLC via the Internet may not be secure, and information conveyed prior to establishing an attorney-client relationship may not be privileged.

    © 2021 Alden Law Group, PLLC. All rights reserved. Site by Midwest New Media, LLC.  •  Terms of Use