RETIREMENT AND BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

The Agency recognizes its obligation to fully inform employees about all benefits for which they may be eligible and the costs and consequences of benefit plans or options, encourage them to avail themselves of such benefits, and assist them in initiating claims. The Agency agrees to take affirmative action to fulfill this obligation through such means as providing employees with a link to a publicly-accessible website, supplying brochures, pamphlets, other appropriate information, and assisting employees in filing benefit claims. The information and/or assistance shall be made available to all bargaining unit employees.

The Agency shall maintain a personnel action system that requires priority processing of packages related to employee deaths. Such personnel actions shall take priority over all other personnel actions.

After an employee's death, and with the beneficiary's consent, the Agency shall promptly dispatch a knowledgeable representative to the home of the deceased employee's primary beneficiary. When a personal briefing is not desired, the beneficiary shall be advised by other means, such as telephone, personal intermediary, email, or website. All benefits to which a deceased employee's beneficiary may be entitled shall be fully explained. The representative shall assist in completing the appropriate forms and filing the claim for unpaid compensation benefits. Those benefits shall include, but not be limited to, lump sum leave payment, any retirement insurance, Social Security benefits, and other services to which the beneficiary may be entitled. This representative shall be the contact point until all applicable benefits are settled.

The Parties recognize the importance of providing employees education on the retirement systems. The Agency shall maintain a retirement planning program to be made available to employees. The program shall include, but not be limited to, briefings, individual counseling, assistance, information, and materials distribution.

It is optimal for employees to be afforded the opportunity to participate in an in-person briefing. The options in Sections 5 and 6 are available to employees within seven (7) years of retirement eligibility. Employees shall be afforded duty time/excused absence to participate in one (1) Agency or Union sponsored briefing. Employees are not prohibited from participating in additional Agency programs in a non-duty status, subject to space availability.

Agency sponsored briefings:

a. Agency sponsored in-person briefings within the commuting area— Employees will be allowed to participate in a duty status, if otherwise in a duty status. Employees normally shall attend briefings within their commuting area. Employees are not entitled to travel and per diem except, when no briefing is scheduled within the commuting area, the Agency shall authorize, on a one- time basis, either the use of a Government Owned Vehicle (GOV) or a Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) to attend the nearest briefing outside the commuting area.

b. When no briefing is scheduled in the commuting area or at the request of the employee, the employee may attend an Agency sponsored interactive virtual briefing (e.g. Webex, webinar, GoTo Meeting) in a duty status, if otherwise in a duty status.

Union sponsored in-person briefings:

a. Once annually, the Union shall provide the Agency at the national level a schedule of briefing dates, times, locations, and a briefing on the materials to be presented. Subject to staffing and workload, the Agency shall grant eight (8) hours of excused absence to bargaining unit employees to participate in these briefings. The Agency will not pay travel, per diem, tuition, or other related costs for the Union sponsored briefings.

b. At the local level, requests for excused absence to attend these briefings shall be submitted to the Agency by the Union no later than forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the briefing. Such requests shall be approved/disapproved no later than twenty-eight (28) days prior to the date of the briefing. Employee names submitted less than forty-five (45) days in advance shall be approved/disapproved in the order they were received.

The Agency shall provide a retirement planning program for individuals participating in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) employees shall receive information as part of orientation and follow-up individual counseling. The program may include, but not be limited to, individual counseling, assistance, information, and materials distribution via hardcopy or a link to a publicly-accessible website. This planning program shall be made available to all new employees within one (1) year of entering on duty with the Agency. Employees who elect to change from CSRS to FERS shall have this planning program made available to them within one (1) year of their election. FERS employees who have not received this program shall have it made available to them within two (2) years of the signing of this Agreement. Employees participating in this program shall be in a duty status. Employees are not entitled to travel and per diem. FERS employees shall receive standard education on the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) during the TSP Open Seasons, and upon any major change to the TSP.

Brochures and pamphlets associated with benefits programs shall be provided to the national and regional offices of the Union.

The Agency shall ensure that the most recent version of retirement and benefits information, including the following brochures and forms, are available to employees for review:

a. enrollment Information Guide and Plan Comparison Chart;

b. brochures on both government-wide plans;

c. any brochures they may request on plans sponsored by employee organizations for which employees may qualify; and

d. brochures of all comprehensive plans serving the area in which the employee is located.

If there is any change in retirement or benefits, or related laws or regulations, the Agency at the national level shall within thirty (30) days brief the Union at the national level. Any changes which may require negotiations shall be handled in accordance with Article 7 of this Agreement.

In the event it is determined that an employee is permanently disqualified for his/her duties, the Agency shall inform the employee of the rights, benefits, and options, including other types of positions for which the employee may be qualified and the procedures for requesting consideration for such positions.

An employee who has been engaged in the separation of aircraft as defined in P.L. 92-297 or in providing preflight, inflight, or airport advisory service to aircraft operators as defined in P.L. 99-335, shall be eligible for retirement in accordance with applicable law.

The Parties recognize that applications for federal service retirements are subject to the rules, processing procedures, and time limits established by OPM. In order to minimize this processing time, employees may submit their application for retirement to the appropriate Regional Human Resource Management Division ninety (90) days prior to the scheduled effective date of separation. The Agency agrees to process all necessary paperwork in connection with a retirement application as it is submitted and in a timely manner.

In the event health fairs or similar activities are conducted at any Agency facility, the Agency should request participating vendors to be available so as to allow maximum employee participation on duty time. Additionally, the Agency should advise other facilities in the local area in order to allow for maximum employee participation. Employees are not entitled to travel and per diem.