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NASA offers buyouts to 117 Goddard employees

Individuals in some positions can apply to retire as NASA focuses on reshaping its workforce. NASA will cap severance pay at $25,000.

Federal News Network Staff

July 9, 2012 2:59 pm

1 min read

By Esther Carey
Special to Federal News Radio

Employees in 117 positions at NASA are eligible for a new buyout/early out incentive plan. All of the current offers are for jobs at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. NASA officials crafted the plan to help reshape the agency’s workforce in light of changing needs.

NASA directly emailed those in eligible positions with more information. The window for incentive applications is open through July 20, with actual retirement between Aug. 1 and Oct. 3. The agency limited the buyout option to certain categories, such as those in the Sciences and Exploration Directorate and the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate, to avoid creating skills imbalances. The available positions include those which currently have a workforce surplus or which may face cuts in funding.

NASA will limit the actual buyouts in each targeted category if more employees apply than planned for. In that case, officials will use the length of federal service as the basis for their decision on who can retire. The buyout amount for each employee will be based on years of service, age and salary. NASA is only one of a number of agencies offering buyouts and early retirements.

Esther Carey is an intern at Federal News Radio.

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