Keith’s note: There is no mention in these news stories about NASA offering a new round of buyouts or whether they are considering them. You might ask your management – to ask their management etc. etc.

• New Buyout Offers on the Table for Federal Employees, Fedsmith: “Some agencies have made new buyout offers to their employees to voluntarily reduce the size of their workforces before widespread RIFs begin.”
• Federal Workers Get Second Musk Buyout Offer , Yahoo: “Federal workers at a number of agencies — including the Defense, Transportation, Agriculture and Energy departments — are getting a second chance to accept a buyout offer, the latest effort to downsize the US government spearheaded by Elon Musk.”
• Federal agencies launch second — and likely final — offer to leave, Politico: “This week, at least seven agencies, including the departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development and Transportation, as well as the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration, are making a new round of offers for workers to leave their jobs, using the same Deferred Resignation Program that prompted more than 77,000 federal employees to voluntarily leave earlier this year.”

Keith’s note: According to The Hill: “A federal judge declined to further pause a federal government buyout program, enabling the government to forge ahead with its “Fork in the Road” program. … The decision allows the Trump administration to close a window to accept the deal that the government originally planned to end on Feb. 6. That deadline was extended while O’Toole weighed a bid by unions to temporarily block the Office of Personnel Management from carrying out the program entirely.”

Keith’s note: According to The Hill: “A federal judge extended indefinitely the deadline for government workers to accept a government buyout, as a lawsuit to block the offer continues in court. U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole heard arguments Monday over the legality of the offer, in which the Office of Personnel Management has pledged eight months of pay and benefits for those wishing to leave the federal service.”

Keith’s note: according to the Washington Post: Judge pauses federal worker buyout offer deadline: “A federal judge in Massachusetts paused the deadline for the Trump administration’s buyout program for federal workers Thursday afternoon, two days after unions representing more than 800,000 federal workers asked the court to halt the program, calling it an “arbitrary, unlawful, short-fused ultimatum. U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. set another hearing for Monday at 2 p.m. for full arguments.”

Keith’s note: There is yet another version of the NASA buyout / deferred resignation form being distributed to NASA personnel – dated 4 Feb 2025. Look at item 14. Document below.

Keith’s note: Whatever buyout decision you make is the right one. Ad Astra to all of the NASA family.

Keith’s note: This document was being distributed on Monday, 3 February 2025. Full text below

NASA GSFC Internal Memo: Buyout/Early Out Announcement “NASA faces many challenges including re-shaping the NASA workforce to successfully meet changing mission requirements. In order to refocus the skill mix of our workforce to become more effectively aligned with current and anticipated funded work requirements, each Directorate has evaluated its workforce requirements and has identified eligible categories of positions that may be experiencing either a workforce surplus or that may be […]

NASA headquarters, four other centers turn to buyouts, Government Executive “Several NASA locations are offering buyouts and early retirement packages to employees. According to NASA public affairs specialist Grey Hautaluoma, the agency’s headquarters in Washington on Nov. 7 offered buyout packages worth up to $25,000 per employee. While 147 employees are eligible for the offer, only 50 packages will be available. Employees must apply by Nov. 18. Four other NASA […]

NASA ARC Memo: FY2010 Buyout/Early Out Opportunity Now Open “The buyout application period begins November 9, 2009, and will continue through 4:30 p.m., Friday, December 11, 2009. Acceptances/Rejections will be issued each Monday for applications received by the close of business on the preceding Friday. Although we expect that all interested persons can be accommodated, the number of opportunities is limited and varies by occupation and organization.”