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State workforce reduction plans

State workforce reduction plans announced
Source: New York State Division of the Budget

On September 14, 2009 the Division of the Budget announced that its preliminary review of New York State agency Workforce Reduction Plans (WRPs) has been completed.

These plans are projected to achieve $260.3 million in savings over the next two years through a combination of severance payments, attrition, and the elimination of funded vacancies. These estimated savings are equal to the amount originally included in the state financial plan from these actions. The Budget also stated that it looks forward ?to working with the Legislature in September to enact Tier V pension reform?.?

WRP savings will be realized through a total workforce reduction of 3,722 positions in agencies subject to executive branch hiring management. A total of 2,633 positions will be reduced through attrition and the elimination of funded vacancies. Additionally, thus far, the state has authorized 1,089 individuals to receive targeted, one-time severance payments of $20,000.

These initiatives, said the Budget, are part of labor agreements that Governor Paterson reached with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) and the Public Employees Federation (PEF) to mitigate potential layoffs in their respective collective bargaining units.

In addition to the implementation of Workforce Reduction Plans, New York State is seeking further cost reductions as part of these agreements through its ongoing efforts to enact Tier V pension reform and encourage participation in the Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule (VRWS) program among state employees.

Each individual authorized to receive a severance incentive must sign an ?Irrevocable Letter of Voluntary Resignation? and leave the state payroll no later than November 11, 2009. To ensure that savings are achieved, workforce reductions resulting from the provision of severance payments will not be refilled.

A breakdown of planned workforce reductions and authorized severance payments by agency is available on the Internet at: http://www.budget.state.ny.us/budgetFP/WRP_SummarybyAgency.pdf

Full post as published by New York Public Personnel Law on September 14, 2009 (boomark / email).