New Information concerning Early Outs

I am passing on some information that I received via my email concerning the early outs. Please read and pass it along.

Thanks....

With Sept. 25 Deadline Approaching, Union Advises Employees Interested in Incentive APWU Web News Article #114-09, Sept. 22, 2009


With an important deadline approaching, APWU officials have been in frequent contact with postal management to resolve questions arising from the $15,000 incentive negotiated by the union for employees who retire or separate, President William Burrus has announced.


“Because of delays in receiving the packages that are needed to complete the application process, many employees are concerned that they may miss the opportunity to receive the incentive,” he said. Therefore, the union advises:

* Employees who have expressed interest in the incentive but have not yet received a package should get confirmation that they contacted Human Resources Shared Services (HRSS) by Sept. 25. Confirmation/reference numbers will serve as verification that employees expressed interest before the Sept. 25 deadline.

If you received a confirmation/reference number, keep a record of it. It is
not necessary to contact Shared Services again. If you did not receive or record a confirmation/reference number, contact HRSS before Sept. 25 and obtain a confirmation/reference number.

* Employees who are eligible for Optional Retirement and have received the packages should comply with the instructions. Retirement counseling will be scheduled; the retirement application will be due after counseling (unless counseling is declined).

* Employees who are eligible for Voluntary Early Retirement should have received a package containing an Early Out Incentive Option Offer Letter, an Acknowledgment of Irrevocability of Early Retirement Decision, an Application for Immediate Retirement, and other information. VER applicants must indicate their intent to participate in the incentive program by Sept. 25, 2009.


There are three methods to contact HRSS to indicate interest in the incentive:

* Call Human Resources Shared Services at 877-477-3273, and select Option 5
* Visit LiteBlue via the Internet at https://liteblue.usps.gov/wps/myportal/retirement
* Send a fax to Human Resources Shared Services at 651-994-3547.