GPO To Offer Employees Buyouts/Early Outs (funded by our taxpayer dollars, of course)

As I read this “press release” I wondered, “how many employees of printing companies in the private sector, who were let go the past three or four years, received ‘buyout’ and ‘early out’ payments?” Probably very few and, “very few” is probably an understatement.

This is a great example of how “government” can do things with “taxpayer money” that “private sector” companies can’t do.

I urge Congress and the Office of Personnel Management, to “act like” they don’t have a blank check from taxpayers.

GPO To Offer Employees Buyouts/Early Outs

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Press release from the issuing company

(Press Release “from a Government Agency” would be more accurate)

WASHINGTON - In response to overall Government cutbacks and projected reductions in appropriated funding, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) informed employees today of its plan to send a request to Congress and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for authority to offer buyouts and early outs to the agency's 2,200 employees. GPO's goal is to achieve a personnel reduction of 15% (or 330 positions), including a reduction in management and supervisory levels of 25%. Once GPO is given authority, employees can be offered lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate from the agency. The actual amount of the payout is based on a formula. GPO will use current funds to conduct this program, which needs to be concluded by the end of the first quarter of FY 2012 to achieve the needed savings for the coming year. In combination with a careful workforce restructuring plan, GPO management believes these reductions in personnel can be achieved without compromising the agency's ability to carry out mission critical operations. 

"GPO has restructured and reinvented itself numerous times throughout the last 150 years to carry out the critical mission of meeting the dissemination and information needs of the U.S. Congress and Federal agencies," said Public Printer Bill Boarman. "These challenging economic times have no boundaries and are forcing many Federal agencies to seek ways to survive. GPO is open for business. We are an agency with a dedicated workforce that will continue to reengineer itself in the 21st century to serve as the digital information platform for the Federal Government."