Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know anyone taking it before yesterday, but my agency offered VERA contingent on fork and now I know of a handful who are seriously considering it.

I just came home from work TONIGHT to have my husband tell me his agency said today that VERA is contingent on fork and he has to reply by tomorrow.

He feels that this crowd is so vindictive that since he is eligible for VERA, if he doesn't take it, he would be first to be RIF'd. He's only 52. We didn't budget for him to retire for another 10 years.

And we have to decide by tomorrow. I am terrified and so f'ing angry.

Don’t do it!!! why would you be pressured like this over a few extra months of “severance”?

Anonymous wrote:Nobody is sitting around wringing their hands about this. Those who are taking it have already taken it.

Not true. Wait until last minute, even if you already decided.

Anonymous wrote:I don't believe the supposed 20,000+ who have taken the buyout.

I think that so few have taken it that they leaked the false story to make people think "oh crap! if 20k took it, i should too!"

We have 237 people and are keeping an internal manual count. We have 2, both newish hires who are young.

Totally agree. If they wanted this to work, they should have found someone with a soul/conscience to make the offer to feds. It's not a bad deal; the dealers are bad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know at least 5 pple -myself included- in a fed OGC who are taking the "Fork" offer. I will get "VERA" as well. The option is to go in 5 days/ week, as well as potentially be converted to schedule F and RIF'd with no severance, process, etc.

Our office in a couple of the practice areas is going to completely collapse.

I call BS. 5 lawyers falling for this? No way.

Not PP, but I'm a DOJ alum and DH still works there and I know of 3 lawyers taking it. And that is just 3 people I know personally. I wouldn't take it. But plenty of lawyers are.

I’m actually not surprised that attorneys would take them. Simply bc it’s prob easier to find work as an attorney. So these attorneys are prob more of the competent ones who are confident they’ll land somewhere.

PP here. I should have said that all of the 3 people I know of taking it are retirement eligible. And one was retiring in the next month anyway. So they don't even need to worry about landing anywhere at all.

If you’re eligible for VERA, that has nothing to do with FORK.

Here is the OPM VERA page:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-early-retirement-authority/

Here is the RIF page:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/reductions-in-force/

Michelle Singletary’s take on FORK: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/federal-workers-should-tell-trump-no-deal-on-resignation-offer/ar-AA1y8OQI?ocid=TobArticle

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know anyone taking it before yesterday, but my agency offered VERA contingent on fork and now I know of a handful who are seriously considering it.

I just came home from work TONIGHT to have my husband tell me his agency said today that VERA is contingent on fork and he has to reply by tomorrow.

He feels that this crowd is so vindictive that since he is eligible for VERA, if he doesn't take it, he would be first to be RIF'd. He's only 52. We didn't budget for him to retire for another 10 years.

And we have to decide by tomorrow. I am terrified and so f'ing angry.

Anyone in their 50s or 60s should understand that age discrimination is illegal, very widespread, and nearly impossible to prove in court. In short, there might not be any other job available if one leaves the civil service at those ages.

The other thing, only Congress can appropriate the funds for this, and they have not (yet) done so. So one could believe one would get severance or other consideration, but then be left high and dry without a job and with none of what has been promised. The risk of taking the “offer” is huge and unbounded.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know at least 5 pple -myself included- in a fed OGC who are taking the "Fork" offer. I will get "VERA" as well. The option is to go in 5 days/ week, as well as potentially be converted to schedule F and RIF'd with no severance, process, etc.

Our office in a couple of the practice areas is going to completely collapse.

I call BS. 5 lawyers falling for this? No way.

Not PP, but I'm a DOJ alum and DH still works there and I know of 3 lawyers taking it. And that is just 3 people I know personally. I wouldn't take it. But plenty of lawyers are.

I’m actually not surprised that attorneys would take them. Simply bc it’s prob easier to find work as an attorney. So these attorneys are prob more of the competent ones who are confident they’ll land somewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know at least 5 pple -myself included- in a fed OGC who are taking the "Fork" offer. I will get "VERA" as well. The option is to go in 5 days/ week, as well as potentially be converted to schedule F and RIF'd with no severance, process, etc.

Our office in a couple of the practice areas is going to completely collapse.

I call BS. 5 lawyers falling for this? No way.

Not PP, but I'm a DOJ alum and DH still works there and I know of 3 lawyers taking it. And that is just 3 people I know personally. I wouldn't take it. But plenty of lawyers are.

Anonymous wrote:I don't see how people claim they are taking fork and VERA. VERA wasn't an option on the table. FORK contract is incredibly vague.

Our agency sent an email today saying they were approved for VERA. A second email from the Department quickly clarified you had to fork yourself if you wanted VERA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know at least 5 pple -myself included- in a fed OGC who are taking the "Fork" offer. I will get "VERA" as well. The option is to go in 5 days/ week, as well as potentially be converted to schedule F and RIF'd with no severance, process, etc.

Our office in a couple of the practice areas is going to completely collapse.

I call BS. 5 lawyers falling for this? No way.

Why is it so hard to believe. I know of 1 GC and 4 SMEs from my office

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know anyone taking it before yesterday, but my agency offered VERA contingent on fork and now I know of a handful who are seriously considering it.

I just came home from work TONIGHT to have my husband tell me his agency said today that VERA is contingent on fork and he has to reply by tomorrow.

He feels that this crowd is so vindictive that since he is eligible for VERA, if he doesn't take it, he would be first to be RIF'd. He's only 52. We didn't budget for him to retire for another 10 years.

And we have to decide by tomorrow. I am terrified and so f'ing angry.

Same at our house. I think we’re going to pass but very concerned about Friday.

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know anyone taking it before yesterday, but my agency offered VERA contingent on fork and now I know of a handful who are seriously considering it.

I just came home from work TONIGHT to have my husband tell me his agency said today that VERA is contingent on fork and he has to reply by tomorrow.

He feels that this crowd is so vindictive that since he is eligible for VERA, if he doesn't take it, he would be first to be RIF'd. He's only 52. We didn't budget for him to retire for another 10 years.

And we have to decide by tomorrow. I am terrified and so f'ing angry.

I don't see how people claim they are taking fork and VERA. VERA wasn't an option on the table. FORK contract is incredibly vague.

Anonymous wrote:I know at least 5 pple -myself included- in a fed OGC who are taking the "Fork" offer. I will get "VERA" as well. The option is to go in 5 days/ week, as well as potentially be converted to schedule F and RIF'd with no severance, process, etc.

Our office in a couple of the practice areas is going to completely collapse.

I call BS. 5 lawyers falling for this? No way.

I know at least 5 pple -myself included- in a fed OGC who are taking the "Fork" offer. I will get "VERA" as well. The option is to go in 5 days/ week, as well as potentially be converted to schedule F and RIF'd with no severance, process, etc.

Our office in a couple of the practice areas is going to completely collapse.