Officials notify civilians of future employment at Sheppard

  • Published
  • By John Ingle
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  About 90 Team Sheppard civilians learned the future of their employment with the base April 20-22 here when civilian personnel officials handed out Reduction-in-Force notifications. 

Pat Leard, chief of the 82nd Training Wing's Civilian Personnel Flight, said the notifications are a result of the A-76 Competitive Sourcing Study. Results of the study were released Aug. 28. 

Mrs. Leard said her office and Air Force Personnel Center officials worked hard to make sure as many civil service employees were retained at Sheppard as possible. About 200 civilian positions were affected by the A-76 study, but only 34 will be separated. 

"The (Department of Defense) really does try to take care of its employees," she said. "It's very traumatic for the employee and it's very traumatic for us. This is very tough for those being separated, and we don't want to minimize that. But, we're also glad we were able to keep the number from being larger." 

Early numbers showed that 26 civilians will be re-assigned, Mrs. Leard said, while another 34 will be offered jobs at lower pay grades. Thirty-four civilians will be involuntarily separated. 

"Sheppard has a great history of trying to keep people employed," she said. "This is the first time we've had to separate anyone involuntarily." 

Mrs. Leard said those offered positions at lower pay grades have five work days to accept or decline the offer. If the offer is valid - no more than a reduction by three pay grades - and the person declines it, they will be put into the group of separations. 

A civilian can decline the offer if it is invalid, or more than a reduction by three pay grades, she said. 

A DoD-wide program is in place to assist those involuntarily separated from their job here. The Priority Placement Program assists employees adversely affected by RIFs. PPP helps civilians find jobs elsewhere within DoD. In addition, separated employees have the right of first refusal for jobs with the new contractor for which they qualify. 

Pam Fosdick of the Air Education and Training Command's Personnel Programs Directorate said during a visit in October that since 1989, 40 percent of DoD employees have been affected by RIFs, Base Realignment and Closure and other actions. But, only 10 percent were separated from government service. 

Under PPP, employees who qualify for openings elsewhere in DoD must be considered first for positions they qualify for, and relocation expenses are paid. 

Mrs. Leard said employees receiving severance pay must register in PPP. 

The amount of affected employees would have been higher, Mrs. Leard said, but some qualified civilians accepted Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay offers. She said 67 employees accepted the early-out options. 

Town hall meetings are planned April 24 at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Solid Rock Café. Also, a briefing regarding PPP will be held April 28 at 8 a.m. in the Professional Development Center.