GPO Seeks to Reduce Staff By 100 Positions Via Buyouts

WASHINGTON, DC—As the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) shifts toward publishing in digital formats and in response to what it feels is a continuing decline of traditional printed products, the agency informed employees of its plan to send a request to Congress and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for authority to offer buyouts and early outs to the agency's 1,850 employees.

GPO said its goal is to achieve a personnel reduction of 100 positions, or 5 percent of its workforce. Employees will be offered lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate from the agency.

The actual amount of the payout is based on a formula. GPO will use current funds to conduct this program, which needs to be concluded by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2015 to achieve the savings for the coming year.

GPO management believes these reductions can be achieved without compromising its ability to carry out mission-critical operations, including publishing support for Congress and federal agencies, and providing public access to government information.

"Unlike most federal agencies, GPO operates like a business, covering most of its costs through the income we earn for the provision of information products and services," said Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks. "As the government's publisher, we're committed to ensuring that our staffing and other requirements match our customers' needs in this digital age."

The GPO successfully conducted a buyout/early out in 2011 that resulted in reported annual savings of about $24 million. Since 1980, GPO has reduced its workforce by 70 percent as the result of using new technologies.