Article 28
Employee Benefits

Section 28.01

Employees seeking advice regarding benefits should telephone or visit their servicing personnel operations branch which will advise them as to available benefits under such programs as retirement, health and life insurance and injury compensation.

Section 28.02

The Employer agrees that employees who are eligible to retire within 2 years shall be given an opportunity to voluntarily participate in one OPM-sponsored retirement planning seminar.

Section 28.03

Each employee who separates voluntarily or involuntarily (except by retirement) will be informed by the Employer as to the employee's rights to file for any type of retirement benefits to which the employee may be entitled.

Section 28.04

An employee may withdraw a resignation or retirement application at any time prior to its effective date, provided (a) the withdrawal is communicated in writing to the Employer; and (b) the Employer has not made a commitment to fill the position of the retiring or resigning employee to any specific person.

Section 28.05

A. A package of NTEU material will be given to each new bargaining unit employee on the employee's first day of duty which will include:

1. a copy of this agreement;

2. an SF-1187; and

3. a list of stewards and officers including office location and telephone number.

B. The Employer shall ask employees to sign a receipt of this material which reads; "I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Request for Payroll Deduction for Labor Organization Dues (SF-1187), and a list of stewards and officers." This receipt shall be delivered to the appropriate NTEU Chapter president within three (3) workdays.

C. A list of new bargaining unit employees will be provided to each chapter president biweekly.

Section 28.06

A. When an employee receives an overpayment of pay and allowances, other than travel and transportation expenses allowances and relocation expenses, the Employer will waive the obligation to repay such overpayment under the following conditions:

1. The amount of the over payment is not more than $500;

2. There is no reason to believe that the overpayment is the result of misrepresentation, fraud, fault, or a lack of good faith on the part of the employee or any other person having an interest in obtaining a waiver of the claim;

3. The payment is not the subject of an exception by the Comptroller General in the account of the accountable officer;

4. The waiver, if made, would be in accordance with Comptroller General standards;

5. If collection would be against equity and good conscience and not in the best interest of the United States;

6. If the application was made within 3 years of discovery of the erroneous payment; and

7. The waiver could be consistent with governing decisions of the Comptroller General.

B. Where, through an administrative error, an employee receives an overpayment in the amount which would normally go unnoticed or undetected, such employee will be permitted to repay the excess over the number of pay periods equal to the total pay periods over which the overpayments were made. These payments will be made in installments of at least ten dollars (unless a lesser amount will complete reimbursement), payment in full can be made while the employee is still on the Department's active roles.

Section 28.07

Employees temporarily physically unable to do their regularly assigned tasks will be given light duty assignments when possible.