USPS extends early-out offers to letter carriers

The U.S. Postal Service has extended early retirement offers to letter carriers as part of an expanded early-out offer that now covers 156,000 employees.

Rural and city carriers are included in a new group of employees eligible for voluntary early retirements. Other employees in this group are postmasters, field-level supervisors, maintenance workers and motor vehicle mechanics.

In the past month, USPS announced early-out offers to two other groups of employees as part of a larger effort to reduce and restructure its work force. The first covers about 72,000 mail handlers, clerks, distribution operations supervisors and customer service supervisors. The second group includes 3,200 headquarters employees.
With this latest round, approved late last week by the Office of Personnel Management, the Postal Service has extended offers to virtually all occupations within the Postal Service, said Anthony Vegliante, the agency’s chief human resources officer.

Vegliante said it’s the first time since 1992 that the Postal Service has offered early retirements to letter carriers, who comprise the bulk of the agency’s 670,000 employees.
The offers apply to employees who are at least 50 years old with at least 20 years of service, or those with 25 years of service regardless of age. No financial incentives nor bonuses will be paid to employees who decide to retire.

The U.S. Postal Service has extended early retirement offers to letter carriers as part of an expanded early-out offer that now covers 156,000 employees.

Rural and city carriers are included in a new group of employees eligible for voluntary early retirements. Other employees in this group are postmasters, field-level supervisors, maintenance workers and motor vehicle mechanics.

In the past month, USPS announced early-out offers to two other groups of employees as part of a larger effort to reduce and restructure its work force. The first covers about 72,000 mail handlers, clerks, distribution operations supervisors and customer service supervisors. The second group includes 3,200 headquarters employees.
With this latest round, approved late last week by the Office of Personnel Management, the Postal Service has extended offers to virtually all occupations within the Postal Service, said Anthony Vegliante, the agency’s chief human resources officer.

Vegliante said it’s the first time since 1992 that the Postal Service has offered early retirements to letter carriers, who comprise the bulk of the agency’s 670,000 employees.
The offers apply to employees who are at least 50 years old with at least 20 years of service, or those with 25 years of service regardless of age. No financial incentives nor bonuses will be paid to employees who decide to retire.

Employees who retire early don’t earn a full annuity, and employees under the Civil Service Retirement System who take the offer also will have their annuities reduced by an additional 2 percent for every year they are under 55. There is no similar reduction for employees in the Federal Employees Retirement System.