Possible early out information? - postalnews blog
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Possible early out information?

We generally ignore the barrage of early out and buyout rumors that have been a constant on message boards (including our own) for as long as I can remember. This post from Federal Soup, however, sounds pretty plausible in light of recent statements by the PMG:

from a NAPS AVP:

OPM approved United States Postal Service VERA and Retirement Processing for 80,000 eligible Civil Service and Federal Employee Retirement Service employees. With roll out of Area EAS 8% staff reductions and later District EAS 8% staff reductions, VERA will be available for applying on or after March 2011. Effective drop date of VERA is July 2011, August 2011, September 2011, and October 2011. The drop month is determined by your work location and reduction in force notification. VERA will be available for PCES, EAS and Craft employees in “targeted” areas. No “buy out” authorized for USPS.

- Third round of Station, Branch, Finance Station closures due out in FY 2011.
- First announcement of Associate Post Office closures due out in FY 2011.
- First announcement of Processing and Distribution Center closures due out in FY 2011.
- Four Districts will be consolidated in FY 2011.
- Congressional opposition is expected due to loss of local tax base; contract jobs (many in maintenance), and local constituents.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 21st, 2011 at 7:04 am and is filed under postal, PostalVERA.com. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

  • danny

    no buy outs,why leave? stay and weather the storm.

  • Bill

    Well after 38 yrs I won’t leave either. They want me out then make it worth it for me .

  • dawg

    OUR MANAGEMENT IS CLUELESS. i HOPE EVERY ONE STAYS AND TELLS HEM TO STICK THEIR VERA UP THEIR ASS!

  • Disgusted

    Im leaving the day I turn 55 and do the company a favor. All these people hanging out forever need a get a life outside USPS.

  • Disappointed

    I truely am disappointed that they fail to buy us out and they come out with VERA. That is nothing that you can’t get anytime. If you have the age or years or both, you can take an early out anytime. They really don’t get it do they. 2% a year penalty that is some kind of an incentive isn’t it. Cut our throat to save the PO!! NO THANKS !!!! I will keep working until I am ready to retire.

  • Jim

    I totally agree with comments #1, 2 and 5…. Could not of said it better. In my case I have the age and 33 years, so why would I leave without some incentive, especially in this economy?

  • Anthony

    I will be out when the time comes…no hanging out till I am 70. Why stay with a company that is failing..

  • retired 2000

    Offered RIF in 92 and $25000 . My retirement with 2% penalty would have been 18000 . I passed on it and now get 51000 and change. Dont be dumb and take Vera. Wait and RIF will come. Wife is also CSRS and is staying until no penalty. She has 2 years 8 months until she hits regular retirement. She will wait.

  • common sense

    I’m always amazed by the lack of logic in a lot of these comments. It seems people think the USPS desperately wants them to leave, but is refusing to make it attractive enough to do that. A couple of thoughts:
    - The USPS needs the vast majority of its employees to stay on the rolls- the national OT rate doesn’t indicate that the USPS is grossly overstaffed nationwide- only that it has more staff, mostly clerks, in certain areas
    - Because of that, the USPS has no reason whatsoever to offer a blanket VERA or a buyout
    - In areas where the USPS is overstaffed, it can offer VERAs, and then provide a negative incentive- RIF excess staff and offer relocation to places (or crafts) that are currently understaffed
    - If a $15,000 incentive (the most you’re likely to get if any incentive IS offered) is enough to make you retire, think about how much longer you’d have to work to accumulate that sum yourself- with TSP, AL, SL credit, etc., it isn’t very long. You can probably retire a year from now and be as well off as you’d be with an incentive.

  • Buckeye

    I am helping to take care of my mother, and I’m helping to pay for 2 sons who graduated from college only to find no jobs. I’m not whining, but my reality is no leaving early without incentives, and not sure even with that. I bet there are many in the same situation, and family comes first.

  • scanner

    dawg: better than a layoff, that follows the VERA and RIF.

  • retired 2010

    retired 2000- you’re comparing apples and oranges. If you’re pension would have been $18,000 18 years ago, it would be a lot more than that now with 18 COLA increases. Not $51,000, maybe, but closer to 51K than 18K!
    And I hate to say it, but the situation you describe is sort of obvious, don’t you think? Yes, for most employees, the pension you will get if you retire today is going to be considerably less than the pension you will get if you retire 18 years from today. Gee! Ya think??

  • Joe

    Everyone seems to forget it is not the Post Office’s decision on buy outs. PO can request buy outs but OPM authorizes them not the PO. Also the penilty is NOT the PO’s decision. This decision is the IRS and OPM. The PO could offer 25 k with no penalty but OPM and IRS can deny it. Who’s to say they haven’t requested it? Hence the phrase no buy out authorized for USPS. This came from OPM. ( which by the way is funded by your tax dollars)

  • Lifetime Employee

    I’ll be 57 soon and have 37 years of service this sumer. I make over $54k a year. Why would I want to leave the USPS and take the CSRS retirement? As a Window Tech. 7 my job consists of waiting on customers at the front counter.
    Like most of the other thousands of eligible folks who can retire I can wait for an “early out” with $$ incentive.
    This will be about the fifth or sixth “early out” offered. Nobody wants to give up their job without $$ and even when they offered $15K not many people took the money.
    Give us at least $25,000 and MAYBE craft employees will take the offer.

  • POSTAL

    buy me out, buy me out. How bout you get laid off?

  • Jack

    Folks there is no buy out,
    to many people are willing to
    leave without it.

  • Albert

    They offer 15,000 grand in Aug. of 2009 and it’s been downhill since with labor, they say, being 78% of all costs. Attrition? Maybe in 15 years if they get a favorable contract benefitting mgmt. Even with 15,000 incentive, they will not significantly reduce payroll.

  • gb

    Retired 2000, I think Incentive in 1992 was half years salary. It is hard to believe anything you say.

  • Albert

    The only people who want to leave are on these sites. Others who can leave are too busy at the overtime trough to fill out retirement papers.

  • johnd

    what do you do if they make it high 5 not high 3?

  • BRAD

    1YEAR 11 MONTHS BYE BYE!

  • Mary Cuda

    Why leave now with no incentive? Waiting a few years, less than four, will max out retirement at 80%+…

  • gary

    im leaving at the end of feb. anyway with or without incentive. just tired of all the b.s. and its a shame because there isnt a hard job in the p.o. just piss poor mgt.

  • Bob

    Management lies so much that u don’t know what to believe. They say one thing and do something else. Stick it out they will have to offer something sooner or later. I do believe that they want u to do more with less.

  • guzz77

    I’m leaving the usps to been a good 30yrs but its time to enjoy life I’m sorry for all that can go and are waiting for a bonus its not going to come its only going to get worse do more with less ,if i’m wrong about the incentive then good for you but if you can go you might be waiting years for it.

  • getout

    If all you guys would have prepared for retirement years ago you wouldn’t have to wait for an incentive to leave. get out.

  • Ralf

    You know damned well they gave the EAS parasites a bonus of leave amount.
    I have 32 with military, brother 34, NOT~going….

  • Magnolia

    it would be in insult to be offered VER (w/ no $ incentive) when I’m already eligible..they should make it worth our while… allot of us are still young for retirement… WHY would we give up our whole career and what we’ve worked for nothing?…. I know allot of CSRS folks who would be gone SO fast if the USPS would get serious… just think how much they can save if they would let us go with an incentive and pay the juniors allot less for the same work? don’t know what they’ll do, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed…. a couple of years ago, the talk was an addition of 5 years to years of service…. be GONE in a heart beat …. there would be a mass exodus…. would save them MILLIONS$$….

  • deb

    they will just end up making all your routes contract routes, then you will go from 50 k to 30 k and no benifits that sucks for you 30 years, but you shouldn’t be so money hungry, there is alot of rca and trc that will work for 30k.

  • Nutzy

    There will never be A addition of years of service it is not legal to do.So forget that.The very most they can offer by law is$25,000.But don’t count on ever seeing that again.Carriers in most offices are working forced overtime because of under staffing. So it looks doubtful A VERA will be offered there.Flat sorters are coming so more clerks jobs will have to go. And carriers will get added on to.that will eliminate A job on paper but will be paid instead at the OT rate.Mgt. always has been top heavy and that will never change as long as there is A USPs.

  • Suupz

    If you don’t want to retire then continue working. It’s a shame that after so many years most of you have nothing but negative things to say about the USPS. How many of you paid for your homes and put your children through college while taking home a nice check?

    Only those employees in over staffed locations will face a RIF so keep on working until you want to retire but enough with all the complaints. Post your name and location and how much your pay is and see if anyone would like your job. I bet you would get 1000′s of offers.

  • Dave

    Just remember when thinking about retiring early or working till you die this is your one and only life use it wisely. Dont miss all the important things in life get out and live life. They want you to be greedy so when you do retire you are just about to ready expire. pick an option 25 or 50 percent annuity for your wife. Hope she can move in with the kids nope i forgot they still live with me cant find jobs.

  • horsefly

    does anyone know where the targeted areas are

  • guzz77

    you asked which are the targeted areas so far the rumor has it the albany district pitt phil pa area and memphis but don’t bank on it

  • guzz77

    another footnote whats everyone think about naps thats national assoication of postal supervisors coming out against the 5 day delivery . sounds like they’re worried about there jobs not the usps

  • brian

    guzz77- My god! What a shock! You think that NAPS, an employee organization, is interested in protecting its member’s jobs! So what exactly would you like them to do- advocate laying off its members? By your logic shouldn’t the unions should be doing the same thing- telling the USPS they want pay cuts and layoffs? What planet are you from?

  • Craft

    Those who max out their retirement either have no issues at the workplace or just plain enjoy working full time. More power to you.

    Me? I’m leaving soon after eligibility because the climate there is just not the same as the years past. I am in a good position to leave because I don’t have a mortgage anymore. If I did, I’d probably have to stay until financially stable.

    How a person can stay for close to 40 years just to get 80% I don’t understand. There is life after the Post Office. Live it.

  • guzz77

    wow cool your jets brian by my logic I asked what your guys and girls thought about that by my logic maybe they could save some jobs if we were on a 5 day week and in the black looks like a lot of them are getting the old boot anyway

  • guzz77

    oh yeah brian thats my last word on it I’m not going to get in a sparing match with another usps employee

  • brian

    guzz77- sorry, but the whole point of five day delivery is eliminating jobs- that’s the only way it can produce savings. So I can understand why you’re not interested in a “sparing”(?) match- you suggest that supervisors are worried about losing their jobs if we go to five day delivery, and then turn around and suggest that five day delivery would actually “save” jobs. Which is it? And why are you willing to accuse the supervisors of looking out for their own jobs, but not the unions? If you don’t want people questioning your comments, don’t post them.

  • small town

    For those of you who won’t retire without a little extra money…. give me a friggin break. Only a retard would let a little extra money dictate when they retire. For me, it’ll be the day I feel comfortable with my retirement package. I’m willing to bet that most of you who are waiting for that extra money, never see it and you’ll waste your “twilight” years working for a place that doesn’t really care if you’re here or not. Maybe you all should be looking for a new life outside the USPS as well.

  • The Emperor Caligula

    As more and more FERS employees approach retirement age I see a smaller percentage of them leaving than Civil Service employees. If they are under 55 they don’t get the Social Security make up money. If they leave at 55 they only get Social Security make up money until they are first eligible to collect Social Security. in my cast that is 62. If I wait until I am 66 to collect I will get almost $600 a month more from Social Security. I have already retired but I can see some people just waiting until they are not penalized for collecting Social Security early. It really pays to wait. FERS will keep more employees working.

  • Smart enough

    Took the early out, got a job right away with the State. Now am making more money then I was and am working on a state pension.

  • John

    6 day delivery = ‘no incentive to retire’. 5 day delivery = ‘buyout’. The PMG say’s there is no hiring right now because he does’nt want to oust ‘new hires’ when we go to 5 day. He sounds pretty confident that Congress is bending. Either way I retire in 2 years and that will be an eternity.

  • POsupv88

    I don’t begrudge anyone who works beyond retirement age because of their financial situation; however, not leaving until they give you an incentive is going to leave you high and dry. Wait til the RIF happens instead and you get offered a crappy job, with worse hours and in a bad office. Do you think the wait was worth it then?

    As far as NAPS saving supervisors jobs, that would be a first. They don’t do a thing for us. As it is now, there aren’t enough front line supervisors so we would finally be able to work 5th days

  • Retired July 2010

    I retired July 2010 after 38 years. It was a couple days after my 55th birthday. Let me say this, “I highly recommend it!” My TSP balance is $30,000 more than the day I retired. I’m enjoying my life after leaving USPS. It’s great, try it!

  • BigBells

    @gary, who says there’s not a hard job in the USPS: I’d be surprised if you are a letter carrier, and I know you don’t work anywhere, in any capacity, in the Greensboro District. Moving on, I hope that the reduction in managerial employees is not the same “talk only” that it’s been previously. The USPS was already top-heavy with management 15 years ago. With vast reductions in craft employees since that time, the management to craft ratio is now absurd. In a fight for survival, many managerial positions exist simply to do dumb things that another manager has to undo. I talked to an upper-level manager in HR yesterday who was obviously losing it due to the current pressure-cooker environment in (micro) management.

  • Cliff Claven

    Do U think I want to stay?
    Financially I’ll get out when I think I’m ready, not when the P.O. tries to scare me out.
    Years ago, we were assets, now a deficit & a burden?
    No, I think Washington D.C. management is sucking the postal system dry of funds & acting as if ‘were the financial blame’?

    The plant I work at, throw’s many good things out. Desk, chairs, etc.,etc. *Hey-did you ever check to see if an associate office could use this????
    Sorry managers the Old gray ‘mare ain’t what she use too be’,and never will be until you get your heads out of you A$% !!
    Your not even smart enough to copy or steal what works for the competition?

  • Bkbeooks

    I guess I am in the minority. If the Postal Service had the money to offer an insentive, it wouldn’t need to offer VERA or consider RIF. Keep in mind, when the RIF there are no insentives and no options.

  • m carter

    Got out in November the day I turned 56. Only 28 years, but hey, I never said I wanted to be a lifer.

  • jethro tull

    I am not leaving with 38 years and overtime doing clerk work everyday 9 to 11 hours daily clerk work is available after we finish our route. they know the carriers will dothe easy work in the office after being out in the cold for 7 hours. clerks on the window are prima donnas. to good for breaking down mail or tapping boxes having carriers pick up their mail from the window. they take turns for smoke breaks and walk around with a 3849 in their had like they are looking for a peice of mail. they dont get it why they are losing positions. Ill sweep floors if they telll me too. get all the work for job security. we have three maintenace guys they are hard to find hiding in the sub basement or in the imos pizza accross the street.

  • Cjncjnnati

    I retired as soon as they offered the 15 grand with 33 years. Best thing i ever did, i have seen too many people die and not retire (their goal). Don’t plan on living forever!

  • guzz77

    jethro I don’t know what office you work at but a carrier doing clerks work is against union rules yours and ours and your office must be quite an exception for clerks to be walking around doing nothing sounds like the supervisors and pm arn’t doing their jobs in our office there’s no waltzing around we are going from the minute we get there till we go home. the window is no piece of cake either if your a busy office we have lines all day if you don’t like the cold maybe its time to hang it up and by the way i carried for quite a few years until I screwed up my hip some days i wish I was outside in the cold rather than deal with customers i’m sure a lot of ptf and reg ckerks take a burn to your comments. any way i grant you a carriers job is no piece of cake been there done that so give the clrks who do care and work hard some credit have a good day

    I

  • Jose

    37 years of service, my advise to anyone ? hang in there. With a lousy economy why retired ? If you are rich ? or have another job ? go ahead and retire. I predict a buy out this year or next year. I know DPS flats and 7 hours on the street suck specially for old timers with bad backs–bad knees-like me. If you hate the DPS system and can’t handle 7 hours on the street ? Get out and retire.
    Old timers who had driving routes for the last 20–30 years could end up with a 50% walking route which sucks. No one is looking out for them .. DPS flats suck.

  • greg

    I retire today. There will be no more early retirement offers other than the vera. The USPS has gotten so nasty that there are eight months worth of retirement papers piled up right now that have to be processed. Yes, it takes eight months right now to begin getting your actual retirement payment. People are being forced out right now. A great job has gotten nasty.

  • John

    @greg
    Congratulations! I have 7 months and unless there are some substantial rumors I will also leave this oppressive place. Who knows what can happen in 7 months. ENJOY!

  • Literate

    As I read these comments, I was wondering ….

    Who taught some of you people to spell ?

  • Jacqueline

    I thank GOD that I still have a job with the USPS. But, retire early is not a bad idea at all. I am still young and healthy enough to start a small coffee shop somewhere. Sipping coffee in my shop and thinking about my old days in the Post Office sounds like a good retirement plans.
    PS. Pardon my vocabularies…..
    Muah!

  • Terri

    Enjoy life, go fishing, volunteer, watch the grass grow……….Postal stress will kill you.

  • Jacqueline

    When I open my shop. There will be some discount for postal employees. Wink!

  • kelsey

    Congrats to you lucky peeps that get a $20k bonus to leave early. It doesn’t come around very often. the last one for EAS with incentive was 1992. I was 37 then. I retired in 2009 on VERA at age 53 1/2 (no bonus) after 30 years of service and that was the best thing I ever did. Got a new career with only 25 % of the stress I had at the PO and I’m now earning 85% of what I earned at the PO plus I have 37k in CSRS retirement. I’m also eligible for an additional pension at my new job (a state govt agency). So, I’m padding my nest for my real retirement at age 60. But truthfully, all the extra money is nice but what’s nicer is that it’s reasonable and not insane and everyone is treated with respect. That’s what matters most! I think it could add years to my life expectancy! Good luck to all of you whether you stay or go.

  • Jose

    My goal is to mix out or incentive early out which ever comes first. I need 5 more years and i be 62 years old when i mix out, still a kid. With all of the carriers and clerks losing their jobs , the postal service have 2 choices , fire people ? or incentives early out by the end of 2011. Early out by the end of 2011 is my poker read. At 62 i will have plenty of years for fishing, watch the grass grow and pick my nose, lol .

  • Bill

    Sorry for all who are waiting. Have 34yrs time to go and enjoy
    life. Moving to Colombia with wife. Adios Postal service

  • Bruiser

    I’m going this year, 38 years and change, age – 57, CSRS, If I get an incentive great, if not it’s been a long strange trip. The best to all you doing the Lord’s work every day and take care of each other, try to play nice, it just works out better that way…………

  • brew

    You people are a perfect example of the mentality of our nation..Spend more than you make..I love it!
    35 years, 38 years, I’m not going..Well if you were not smart enough to plan for your retirement because you thought you would have unlimited overtime forever., I hope you have to stay 50 years,, Get out and get a life
    This isn’t a dress rehearsel!

  • bill s.

    It isn’t the money…it’s the living hell that they put us thru.
    They treat clerks with disrespect and could not care less about their general well-being. I am leaving when I am 55 – in 4 months. $15k or $20k would be nice, but it isn’t worth the wait. I will make more than that on another job and along with the pension, I will be earning more than staying at that hell-hole. Supervision sucks! and 204b’s are a total JOKE!
    There is life outside the postal life, people. If you are brainwashed to think that is the only life…you will be miserable for the REST OF your life.

  • bill s.

    By the way…I agree with you BREW!

  • Jim W.

    31 yrs of postal svc……..51 yrs of age….I’m doomed !!

  • Jose

    I hate spelling cops. They think that they are so smart.. Getting back to postal issues , i was listening to c–span the other day and i heard Senator Carper saying that if the postal service get their hands on the $$$ billions that they are claiming over paying the civil service pension that they should give carriers $ 20,000 and 3 years add on to their time instead of laying off people.. So i believe that an early out for carriers could be coming this year….. Say goodbye to Saturday delivery , Obama agree to let postal management end Saturday delivery… An early out won’t do me any good, i retired June 1, 2011…

  • doug

    My job in automation is hard and physical, but I have been doing it 26 years at night. I never need supervision because I alwys know what to do and how much to run. I never call in and always finish on time, even if I give up my break, or take a 15 minute lunch. My product is my main concern every night. 31 years Fed time right now and too young to leave, even they give 100k I won’t leave. Because I have saved double that and have 200k in TSP, that’s how you do it. Invest and save, then whatever these fools decide is fine with me!