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so the big news that broke yesterday
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afternoon and I'm recording this on
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February 11th so this would have been
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February 10th was that the buyout offer
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for federal employees has yet again been
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delayed and uh it's honestly it's become
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kind of a mess um I say that just
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because it's it's sort of in chaos right
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now in the sense of there's no clear
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into the program U while it's being
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litigated the original deadline was
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February 6th at 11:59 p.m.
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Eastern then just hours before that um
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Massachusetts uh George otou Jr uh
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delayed it and it was delayed until
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yesterday Monday February 10th and there
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was a hearing scheduled for yesterday
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afternoon at 2 so he could hear
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case and now it's been delayed
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again and um who knows when when the new
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deadline's going to be but it's on hold
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basically indefinitely the pause will
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remain in effect until he has time to
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issue a new order I guess on the upside
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if you are considering this buyout offer
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then you have more time now the downside
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is you don't know how much time you have
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it could come tomorrow it could be two
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weeks from now it's not not clear what
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is clear though is OPM has emphasized
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OPM the office of personal management
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has emphasized that the Deferred
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resignation program is still very much
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in effect and will be Ended as soon as
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possible they put up a statement on
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their website that says quote in
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compliance with an order issued today by
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The District Court of
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Massachusetts granting a request to stay
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the deadline for the Deferred
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resignation program the program remains
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resignations OPM intends to close the
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program to new entrance as soon as
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legally permissible as of last weekend
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65,000 federal employees have accepted
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the uh deferred resignation offer and on
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that note one interesting point all of
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this came about because a group of
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unions filed a lawsuit over the uh
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deferred resignation off offer and we've
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seen comments from some of our readers
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who are very frustrated by this
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situation because they made the point we
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accepted this offer we did it
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voluntarily it was our decision these
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unions stepped in and sued and now we're
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kind of stuck in limbo we don't know
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when this is going to end we can't make
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plans we don't know when the offer is
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going to kick in or if it's going to
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kick in so they're not happy with the
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situation and they're also not happy
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with the unions but but then on the flip
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side we've seen comments from people who
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are in favor of the litigation and
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support what the unions are doing for
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whatever reasons they have to not trust
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the offer they they don't think it's
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legitimate they don't think they would
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actually get paid whatever reasons they
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might have for distrusting it it's
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important to note for federal employees
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who are choosing to remain in the
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federal Workforce and not accept the
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offer OPM has warned that layoffs in may
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be coming and that there are a number of
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significant changes that are becoming to
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the federal Workforce as well a return
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to work in the office so tele workk and
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remote work or or history the government
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will have a performance culture with
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enhanced performance standards at every
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level employees will be working in
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smaller Workforce units with riffs
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that's reduction inforce furlows and
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reclassification that would be um
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schedule F as part of the working
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environment and also enhanced standards
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of conduct and on that point OPM says
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quote the federal Workforce should be
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comprised of employees who are reliable
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loyal trustworthy and who strive for
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excellence in their daily work employees
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will be subject to enhanced standards of
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suitability and conduct as we move
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forward employees who engage in unlawful
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Behavior or other misconduct will be
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prior prioritize for appropriate
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investigation and discipline including
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termination so that's the latest on the
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buyout offer and where it stands
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currently fedsmith will of course
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continue to keep you updated with more
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news and information as it happens