The Office of Personnel Management has issued final
regulations on the use of voluntary separation incentive
payments, or buyouts, that it says should make it easier
to avoid terminating employees amid organizational change.
It said under the VSIP regulations, most non-Defense
executive branch agencies have the option of offering
buyouts “to employees who separate by voluntary retirement
or by resignation in a downsizing, reshaping,
restructuring, or similar situation.”
After receiving approval from OPM and the Office of
Management and Budget agencies can offer a lump sum payment
equal to what an employee would get in severance pay, or
up to $25,000.
