Question
May an agency request a buyout repayment waiver to help cope with the aftermath of a pandemic?
Answer
The head of an agency may ask OPM to waive the usual buyout repayment requirement (5 U.S.C. 3524) if, in the case of an emergency involving a direct threat to life or property, the individual covered by the waiver request has skills directly related to resolving the emergency and will serve on a temporary basis only so long as that individual's services are made necessary by the emergency for buyouts authorized under the Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 2002. See 5 CFR part 576. Contact your Human Resources Office for buyouts authorized under other statutory authority.