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NARFE Applauds DOD Implementation of Phased Retirement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jessica Klement
June 21, 2016 703-838-7760
  jklement@narfe.org

Alexandria, VA – Following the announcement that the Department of Defense (DOD) will begin offering phased retirement to its civilian employees, Richard G. Thissen, National President of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) and a former employee of the Department of the Army for 27 years, released the following statement:

“As a retiree of the Department of the Army, I’m proud that phased retirement is now a reality for the men and women who work for the largest federal government agency. NARFE applauds the Department of Defense for implementing phased retirement for the dedicated employees whose decades of service and experience now will be retained a while longer and passed on to their successors. As a result, the federal government will save money and continuity of operations at DOD undoubtedly will improve.

“Since phased retirement became law four years ago, NARFE’s phones have rung off the hook with calls from federal employees wondering when phased retirement will be available at their agencies. While this is long overdue, I’m pleased that I now can tell employees at the Department of Defense that phased retirement is available to them.

“For many other federal employees, however, this news will add to their frustration because the future of phased retirement at many agencies is still uncertain. In recent weeks, the Commerce Department also announced it will implement phased retirement. I urge every federal agency to join DOD, Commerce and a handful of other federal agencies and embrace this innovative human resources tool.”

Phased retirement is estimated to save the federal government $450 million over the next 10 years. In May 2015, NARFE sent a letter to the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council, asking its 25 members to report publicly their agency’s progress on implementing phased retirement. In November 2015, NARFE re-sent the letter to OPM Acting Director Beth Cobert. To date, it has not received a response. To watch NARFE’s Legislative Director Jessica Klement discuss the slow implementation of phased retirement with the Federal Times, please click here.

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The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), one of America’s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/retiree organization, NARFE represents the interests of nearly five million current and future federal annuitants, spouses and survivors.