Budget woes might lead to fewer feds
Employee buyouts and hiring freezes are some of the ways agencies are dealing with tight budgets.
Although negotiations on next year's budget are on hold due to the debate over the debt ceiling, some federal agencies are dealing with budget shortfalls by cutting their workforces.
Federal News Radio reports that the Education Department, Defense Department, Agriculture Department, and the Smithsonian Institution have sought the Office of Personnel Management’s permission for employee buyouts.
Also, the Social Security Security Administration and the Air Force have implemented hiring controls, according to the article.
In the last Workforce Wonk entry, I wrote about a bureau CIO at the Agriculture Department who took advantage of an early retirement offer, also known as an early out.
Linda Burek, CIO of USDA’s Rural Development bureau, said when her department offered the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, it gave her the opportunity to retire sooner than she expected.
Do you think buyouts, early outs or hiring freezes are going to become a trend in the federal government? Are those options an effective way for an agency to deal with budget gaps?