FROM: A FORMER EMPLOYEE
To Whom It May Concern:
According to the latest 2012 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, the Broadcasting Board of Governors continues to disrespect employees and live up to its reputation as the worst-managed agency in the Federal Government.
One former employee, who agrees that it’s still “Business as Usual” at the BBG, issued this warning. BEWARE to those BBG employees who have signed off on a settlement agreement after being terminated, and forced into an early retirement. After signing a settlement agreement, how many times have we heard that there’s been a BREACH…that the BBG did not BARGAIN in good faith.
That’s what happened when BBG officials created a document, alleging that the Defense Financial Accounting Services (DFAS), which handles payroll for the BBG, required that the document be completed in order for the employee to receive retirement benefits. The DFAS memo and questionnaire were presented as a legitimate government-issued document six months after the agreement was signed.
Never mind that the document had nothing to do with DFAS nor the settlement agreement. Forget that the questions are all personal and an attempt to delve into the finances of the recipient. The accompanying memo and questionnaire are badly-written, and are clearly a last-minute, hastily-thrown together attempt to construct a legal-looking document. The documents are missing the DFAS Letterhead and the SF form number that identifies a government document. The memo misspells “Civilian” twice—two different ways. Speaking of SF numbers, the agency has yet to give the individual a copy of the SF-50 personnel action paperwork which changes their status from a “removal” to “voluntary retirement” which was agreed upon in the settlement offer. This breach by the agency has held up the former employee’s efforts to find employment, which may be their intent.
Now, this is where things get really interesting. DFAS officials were contacted about the paperwork and they admitted that they were unaware of any such paperwork requirement; therefore, the BBG officials subsequently decided that the questionnaire/paperwork was no longer needed as a requirement for retirement. Wouldn’t you agree that it’s very interesting how quickly BBG made that decision after DFAS denied that it was their document.
But (and we all know the BBG behaves like a weather vane) will BBG stick with its decision? Or will it rig up another set of papers, with no misspellings and manufacture authentic letterhead AND an SF-number in this continuing saga of “DFAS-Gate?”
By the way… BBG Board Member, Victor Ashe, said that it’s a shame and that if he gets the opportunity, he will bring this matter before the public forum meeting on Thursday, November 15, 2012. (The BBG cancelled the employee public forum meeting that had previously been scheduled for November.)
Never a dull moment at the BBG. Stay tuned….
BBG Former Employee
PDF copy of Alleged DFAS Checklist Document