The Laboratory has modified procedures for rehiring retirees, under guidance from a new Director’s Instruction issued last week.
Revisions to the policy on rehiring retirees were based on a recommendation from a team chaired by Mike Burns of the associate directorate for weapons programs (ADWP). This team reviewed a 2004 Director’s Instruction on returning retirees and recommended modifications. This team subsequently joined the “Fix-It” initiative created by Laboratory Director Bob Kuckuck to investigate and brainstorm solutions to issues raised by staff and various Laboratory organizations. The “Fix-It” initiative is led by the Chief Science Office (CSO).
The new Director’s Instruction supersedes prior Laboratory policies and guidance and rescinds the previous DI requiring director approval for rehire decisions (DI 04-006.1) issued on July 7, 2004.
Under the Director’s Instruction, authority for rehiring retirees shifts from the Director’s Office to division leaders. The instruction also outlines explicit rehiring criteria and requires associate directors’ concurrence on any rehire proposal.
The new instruction emphasizes the Internal Revenue Service requirement that a retired UC employee must have a true separation from service before working in any capacity covered by the Director’s Instruction. The Human Resources (HR) Division leader is responsible for confirming that a true separation from service has occurred.
In determining sufficient justification to rehire a retiree, division leaders must consider whether there is a sound business basis (to bring back a retiree). And at least one of the following four criteria for rehiring of a UC retiree must be met:
1. The retiree possesses unique, expert knowledge in a specialized field, leading to a need for ongoing consultation services of no more than 30 days per calendar year.
2. The retiree is assigned to a specific task that can be completed in one year or less.
3. The retiree is hired for the purpose of mentoring new staff members. Mentoring is a one-time request, for up to three years total.
4. The retiree is hired to perform work pending completion of the hiring process for, issuance of a security clearance to, or access to programs by the person designated as the retiree’s replacement.
Division leaders are prohibited from discussing the potential for rehire prior to any employee’s retirement or prior to the completion of an employee’s true separation from service. The DI also requires that retiree services be acquired through normal Laboratory procurement policies.
To help ensure that managers are cognizant of the impacts that returning retirees may have on the work force, the Laboratory is modifying work force tracking reports to include numbers of retirees. The Executive Board will periodically conduct a review of those data.
For more information, including rehiring procedures and exclusions, see the Director’s Instruction (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).
