On Thursday February 4, 2010 the State Department of Health held three meetings to discuss the VOBO that they are submitting to employees. The Department is holding meetings through out the state to explain the options to employees and the details of the plan.
Employees have until Feb. 10 to complete and submit a VOBO intent form to Human Resources. The Agency will then inform employees who are offered the VOBO by Feb. 12. On Feb. 16 the agency will hold a special retirement meeting. All employees retiring must have their retirement forms submitted to Human Resources by close of business on Feb. 28 and your OPERS forms must be filed with OPERS by March 2. April 5 is the last day to revoke the VOBO. April 30 will be the employees last day and retirement/separation will begin on May 1, 2010.
The VOBO package includes 18 months of the employee only option of health insurance, longevity payment in the amount which employee would be paid at the next anniversary date, and a lump sum payment of $5,000. These payments are in addition to the payments of unused annual leave (up to the limit of n480 hours), all holiday pay, administrative leave, and non-exempt comp time that is paid to all separating employees.
“OPEA staff attended the meetings, providing information to the employees and answering questions,” said OPEA Policy and Research Director Trish Frazier. “We are spending a lot of time at agency VOBO meetings to be certain that employees are informed of their options and any rights they may have. We are the experts on this issue because we sponsored the legislation and wrote the bills and above all focus on the best interest of state employees.”
Posted on
Mon, February 8, 2010
by Trish Frazier