United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office General Government Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-08-26 monographic deposited born digital 79 p. GA 1.13:GGD-96-62 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62 P0b002ee18037da75 f:gg96062 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62 GGD-96-62 Federal downsizing Reductions in force Personnel management Employee buyouts Strategic planning Human resources utilization Federal personnel law Proposed legislation Women Employment of minorities GSA Federal Operations Review Model Navy Building High-Performance Organizations for the Twenty-First Century Program OPM Central Personnel Data File Chapter Report GGD

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed several issues related to the federal employee buyout program, focusing on: (1) whether the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act's downsizing goals are being achieved; (2) whether agencies' use of buyouts reflects National Performance Review (NPR) downsizing goals; (3) the demographic results of the buyouts; and (4) how agencies view buyouts as a downsizing tool.<p/>GAO found that: (1) between January 1993 and March 1996, non-Postal executive civilian employment decreased by 230,500 employees; (2) employee buyouts have minimized the use of reductions in force (RIF); (3) agencies have not met NPR restructuring goals, since the percentage of management positions has not significantly changed; (4) agencies often set lower downsizing goals for management positions, since they do not specifically target buyouts to these positions; (5) agencies that plan their buyouts have more successful outcomes; (6) buyouts have allowed agencies to increase the representation of minorities and women in the workforce, who likely would have been adversely affected by RIF; (7) 72 percent of buyouts have gone to employees taking regular or early retirement, and some employees may have delayed their separation so they could receive buyouts; (8) most agencies believe buyouts have been an effective downsizing tool, but downsizing has caused operational problems such as the loss of corporate memory and expertise, increased workloads and backlogs, skill imbalances, and more overtime; (9) some agencies believe that downsizing has hindered their ability to carry out their missions; (10) agencies have used reengineered work processes and automation to offset personnel reductions, but a few agencies are using contract employees, some of whom are buyout recipients; (11) outsourcing work may offset some downsizing benefits and be inconsistent with the act's purpose; and (12) agencies could have mitigated some of the adverse impacts of downsizing through better strategic and workforce planning. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62/html/GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62.pdf GAO/GGD-96-62 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GGD-96-62 Chapter Report GAO/GGD-96-62; Federal Downsizing: Better Workforce and Strategic Planning Could Have Made Buyouts More Effective; Federal downsizing Reductions in force Personnel management Employee buyouts Strategic planning Human resources utilization Federal personnel law Proposed legislation Women Employment of minorities GSA Federal Operations Review Model Navy Building High-Performance Organizations for the Twenty-First Century Program OPM Central Personnel Data File Title 5 Section 3502 5 U.S.C. 3502 Public Law 102-484 Public Law 103-226 Public Law 103-337