Weighing DRP 2.0 versus RIF Severance

[Anonymous]

I am highly likely to be RIFd and am weighing taking DRP 2.0 or waiting to get RIFd and get severance. The number of weeks of pay is higher with RIF severance, but does RIF severance pay include locality pay or only basic pay? If it is only basic pay, the calculus changes since my understanding is that DRP is a continuation of current full pay until 9/30.

[Anonymous]

You can look at your Employee Benefits Statement to see your RIF severance calculated for you.

But there are two aspects here. The first is which would give you more income and longer insurance coverage if you'd definitely be RIFed. The second is whether it's worth the risk to give up the job in hand voluntarily, in a tough and unstable market. RIF decisions aren't known yet. The potential loss from missing out on the difference between DRP and RIF payments is still much smaller than the potential loss of being out of work for a year.

[Anonymous]

severence also doesn't include benefits... Taking the 2.0 includes your med/dent/TSP, etc.

[Anonymous]

If you can get health insurance through your spouse and have enough tenure in government severance is likely better. You also don’t waive your right to a lawsuit and I’ve heard also get preference if you want to work in government at some point in the future.

[Anonymous]

The trouble with RIF is that you have to be sure that you would actually be RIFd. If they reassign you to a nearby place for example, then you wouldn't necessarily be RIFd, so you wouldn't be eligible for severance.

[Anonymous]

Severance is calculated using basic pay.. you also calculate in your age and years of service. There is a severance calculator on the OPM website that is helpful. For me personally my severance would be slightly more than DRP 2. But I’m still taking DRP. Just seems more of a sure thing at this point (and I can’t believe I am saying that!!). I’ve heard severance can take awhile to process (maybe dependent on agency, so don’t quote me on that). I also worry (and know) many in my group are taking DRP 2, so I worry RIFs may not end up happening and I’ll be stuck with triple the workload/stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The trouble with RIF is that you have to be sure that you would actually be RIFd. If they reassign you to a nearby place for example, then you wouldn't necessarily be RIFd, so you wouldn't be eligible for severance.

True, but this means you still have a job! I can't think of a situation in which I wouldn't rather be reassigned. If I don't like the reassignment, I could still look for a job but would be doing so from a position of employment.

[Anonymous]

One other factor, but I don't know if this will really happen or not. If riffed, they're supposed to give you preference when filling new positions. It might seem like a long shot, but after this is all said and done, there are going to be holes all over the place in the offices that they didn't shut down. If you have good performance evals and reappointment preference, you'd possibly be able to find another (desirable) federal position within a couple of months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The trouble with RIF is that you have to be sure that you would actually be RIFd. If they reassign you to a nearby place for example, then you wouldn't necessarily be RIFd, so you wouldn't be eligible for severance.

True, but this means you still have a job! I can't think of a situation in which I wouldn't rather be reassigned. If I don't like the reassignment, I could still look for a job but would be doing so from a position of employment.

If it were an unsustainable commute. There are definitely locations within the DC locality pay area that I cannot commute to.

But I'm rolling the dice on the RIF. The certainty of having pay and benefits for another 5 months is not worth the price of definitely being unemployed in 6 months.

And I got my first "position not being filled" response to a local government application today. It is only going to get worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The trouble with RIF is that you have to be sure that you would actually be RIFd. If they reassign you to a nearby place for example, then you wouldn't necessarily be RIFd, so you wouldn't be eligible for severance.

True, but this means you still have a job! I can't think of a situation in which I wouldn't rather be reassigned. If I don't like the reassignment, I could still look for a job but would be doing so from a position of employment.

If it were an unsustainable commute. There are definitely locations within the DC locality pay area that I cannot commute to.

But I'm rolling the dice on the RIF. The certainty of having pay and benefits for another 5 months is not worth the price of definitely being unemployed in 6 months.

And I got my first "position not being filled" response to a local government application today. It is only going to get worse.

I think that’s the right call. RIFs are very complicated, which means they will try to avoid them and they mess them up if they do them, giving you a chance of getting your job back through lawsuits. Also, if you say you are likely to be riffed because of your shorter tenure, who knows if they will follow the rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Severance is calculated using basic pay.. you also calculate in your age and years of service. There is a severance calculator on the OPM website that is helpful. For me personally my severance would be slightly more than DRP 2. But I’m still taking DRP. Just seems more of a sure thing at this point (and I can’t believe I am saying that!!). I’ve heard severance can take awhile to process (maybe dependent on agency, so don’t quote me on that). I also worry (and know) many in my group are taking DRP 2, so I worry RIFs may not end up happening and I’ll be stuck with triple the workload/stress.

Basic pay includes locality. I’m 99% sure your RIF severance is calculated using your pay including locality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The trouble with RIF is that you have to be sure that you would actually be RIFd. If they reassign you to a nearby place for example, then you wouldn't necessarily be RIFd, so you wouldn't be eligible for severance.

True, but this means you still have a job! I can't think of a situation in which I wouldn't rather be reassigned. If I don't like the reassignment, I could still look for a job but would be doing so from a position of employment.

If it were an unsustainable commute. There are definitely locations within the DC locality pay area that I cannot commute to.

But I'm rolling the dice on the RIF. The certainty of having pay and benefits for another 5 months is not worth the price of definitely being unemployed in 6 months.

And I got my first "position not being filled" response to a local government application today. It is only going to get worse.

I think that’s the right call. RIFs are very complicated, which means they will try to avoid them and they mess them up if they do them, giving you a chance of getting your job back through lawsuits. Also, if you say you are likely to be riffed because of your shorter tenure, who knows if they will follow the rules.

Definitely true for the long run that there are places I wouldn't commute to. But I'd make a long commute work right now just to keep federal employment (2 years away from a full pension and I'd like to stick it out). I think I'd view that job as a temporary bird-in-hand job and start applying for others once the dust settles.

The way they are aggressively pushing Fork 2.0 in our agency means that a LOT of people are taking it-- way more than 1/2 of the staff will be gone soon, I think. And the people leaving aren't proportional to where they will want people when all is said and done-- not enough gone in one unit and too many gone in another. So I think there will be a lot of job openings by next fall as they try to reshape the units into what they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The trouble with RIF is that you have to be sure that you would actually be RIFd. If they reassign you to a nearby place for example, then you wouldn't necessarily be RIFd, so you wouldn't be eligible for severance.

True, but this means you still have a job! I can't think of a situation in which I wouldn't rather be reassigned. If I don't like the reassignment, I could still look for a job but would be doing so from a position of employment.

If it were an unsustainable commute. There are definitely locations within the DC locality pay area that I cannot commute to.

But I'm rolling the dice on the RIF. The certainty of having pay and benefits for another 5 months is not worth the price of definitely being unemployed in 6 months.

And I got my first "position not being filled" response to a local government application today. It is only going to get worse.

I think that’s the right call. RIFs are very complicated, which means they will try to avoid them and they mess them up if they do them, giving you a chance of getting your job back through lawsuits. Also, if you say you are likely to be riffed because of your shorter tenure, who knows if they will follow the rules.

Definitely true for the long run that there are places I wouldn't commute to. But I'd make a long commute work right now just to keep federal employment (2 years away from a full pension and I'd like to stick it out). I think I'd view that job as a temporary bird-in-hand job and start applying for others once the dust settles.

The way they are aggressively pushing Fork 2.0 in our agency means that a LOT of people are taking it-- way more than 1/2 of the staff will be gone soon, I think. And the people leaving aren't proportional to where they will want people when all is said and done-- not enough gone in one unit and too many gone in another. So I think there will be a lot of job openings by next fall as they try to reshape the units into what they want.

But would you want to work for this administration? The only people they'll get are people who couldn't be hired anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

I was told that if you take a severance, you cannot work for Fed Govt for 5 years. Not that they will be hiring anyways

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The trouble with RIF is that you have to be sure that you would actually be RIFd. If they reassign you to a nearby place for example, then you wouldn't necessarily be RIFd, so you wouldn't be eligible for severance.

True, but this means you still have a job! I can't think of a situation in which I wouldn't rather be reassigned. If I don't like the reassignment, I could still look for a job but would be doing so from a position of employment.

If it were an unsustainable commute. There are definitely locations within the DC locality pay area that I cannot commute to.

But I'm rolling the dice on the RIF. The certainty of having pay and benefits for another 5 months is not worth the price of definitely being unemployed in 6 months.

And I got my first "position not being filled" response to a local government application today. It is only going to get worse.

I think that’s the right call. RIFs are very complicated, which means they will try to avoid them and they mess them up if they do them, giving you a chance of getting your job back through lawsuits. Also, if you say you are likely to be riffed because of your shorter tenure, who knows if they will follow the rules.

Definitely true for the long run that there are places I wouldn't commute to. But I'd make a long commute work right now just to keep federal employment (2 years away from a full pension and I'd like to stick it out). I think I'd view that job as a temporary bird-in-hand job and start applying for others once the dust settles.

The way they are aggressively pushing Fork 2.0 in our agency means that a LOT of people are taking it-- way more than 1/2 of the staff will be gone soon, I think. And the people leaving aren't proportional to where they will want people when all is said and done-- not enough gone in one unit and too many gone in another. So I think there will be a lot of job openings by next fall as they try to reshape the units into what they want.

But would you want to work for this administration? The only people they'll get are people who couldn't be hired anywhere else.

I'm not the PP but I'm with NPS and I do still believe we need people to care for the parks. I would stick around if I could, and would take a job at another park or office within 50 miles, but I don't get paid enough to move my family.