A deadline of February 6th has been set for hundreds of thousands of federal employees to decide whether they will accept the deferred resignation offer handed down by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). But legal experts are expressing concerns with its lack of financial guarantees and long-term implications, stressing employees to seek professional guidance before proceeding.
GEL Partner, Kevin Owen, recently shared his thoughts with Forbes.com
Attorney Kevin Owen, a partner in the employee-side unemployment law firm Gilbert Employment Law, P.C., noted several unusual aspects of the letter. The first is that the letter has few specifics, making it difficult to pinpoint precisely what it promises. He also noted the unusual manner in which the letter was rolled out. Federal communications to employees about such important matters are usually done following change management approaches that allow all stakeholders to be prepared to answer employee questions. This rollout was not handled in that standard way. Although some have called this a “buyout,” Attorney Owen says it is no such thing.
Attorney Owen emphasized that employees should be wary of potential legal risks. He said,
“If you want your job, don’t quit your job. Resignations are presumed to be voluntary under employment law, and if you resign, you may not be able to challenge employment actions later.”
To learn more and read the Forbes article, click here.