MSPB to close offices, lay off employees

The Merit Systems Protection Board plans to close its field offices in Boston and Seattle by March 31, according to agency officials.

MSPB chief counsel Richard Banchoff announced the closures in a Dec. 5 memo to agency employees. He added that the board was anticipating closing its Denver field office in 2005, and may close its New York City office, but no earlier than 2005.

"The goal with our consolidation is to make sure that we are best positioned to be able to handle shifts in workload," MSPB Chairman Susanne T. Marshall said Wednesday. Marshall said that recently passed legislation giving the Defense Department authority to severely restrict its employees' access to the MSPB process "was certainly an impetus for the review." The Homeland Security Department obtained similar authority last year.

MSPB administrative judges at the regional and field offices hear federal employee appeals of agency disciplinary decisions, and have the authority to overturn agency decisions and penalties.

Marshall added that the Seattle and Boston offices currently hear the lowest number of cases per judge. She said that the board had gone through a long consultation process with agency employees before making its decision, and that many of the administrative judges in the offices being closed would be placed in other offices. For those who are not, Marshall said the agency would offer job counseling. "We're really hoping to help place people in another government job or within the agency," she said.

The board plans to consolidate its offices in the Northeast region at its Philadelphia operational center. Currently, the board employs 15 judges in the Northeast region: seven in Philadelphia, five in New York, and three in Boston. After the consolidation, only 10 judges will remain. The memo did not say how many total employees would remain after the consolidation. In addition to the judges, eight staffers work for MSPB in the Northeast region.

In the Western region, the board will consolidate operations in its San Francisco office. Currently, the board employs seven judges in San Francisco, five in Denver and five in Seattle. In addition, the board employs 11 staffers in the region.

Departing employees will be eligible for payouts based on their retirement eligibility, as well as separation pay, but specific dollar figures were not provided in the memo. The maximum payout is expected to be about $25,000.