The Pentagon has issued one of its relatively infrequent updates–the most recent one was in 2011–of RIF and other policies applying to its employees in downsizing situations, some of which apply government-wide and some of which are specific to DoD.
The guide, put out by the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service, must be provided to all employees affected by a RIF or transfer of function and to those entitled to grade retention along with the specific notice of separation or change to lower grade. It “may also be distributed to employees immediately upon announcement of any planned reorganization or transformation action,” DoD said.
Included are descriptions of placement programs, including DoD’s “priority placement program” and the separate government-wide “re-employment priority list” program and “interagency career transition assistance plan.” It includes suggestions for employees using such placement assistance programs, including information to make sure is on a resume, considerations about accepting a downgrade or relocation.
Also included is information on job training benefits, relocation entitlements, unemployment compensation, RIF appeals procedures, the DoD-specific homeowners assistance program that provides financial relief to employees relocating who would otherwise lose money on the sale of their primary residence, placement assistance eligibility for spouses and domestic partners who also are DoD employees, severance pay, annual leave lump-sum payments, retirement eligibility, and more.
