Buyouts Still Exist, as Do Eligibility Conditions
The federal government in recent years has not offered a lot of buyouts—also known as voluntary separation incentive payments—but they still occur.
The purpose is to avoid involuntary separations resulting from RIFs, reorganizations, and transfers-of-function. If you are offered a VSIP, you can accept it even if you aren’t eligible to retire, although as a practical matter most buyouts are taken into retirement—either by someone who already was eligible but was continuing to work, or under early-retirement terms.
To be eligible for a VSIP, you must be serving in an appointment without time limit, have been employed by the federal government for at least three years, be in a position your agency has targeted, and get an okay from your agency to accept the offer. Click HERE to read more.
