> I’m not leaving under a “deferred resignation”.
> …
> Instead, I resigned from my position as a product designer, submitting two weeks’ notice…well, two weeks ago.
If they're offering you a buyout and you don't want to work there, why wouldn't you take it?
> (Though it’s possible I almost was; more on that later.)
The part from later in the post that explains it:
> In a terrible coda, a large number of probationary employees were summarily let go at my agency just before my last day.
He wasn't offered a buyout. He quit, and then later, a lot of people were let go. He believes it's probable he would have been one of them had he stayed.
(I also thought that probationary employees were not eligible for the buyout, but now that makes me want to go check on the accuracy of that.)
1. Not getting paid: the agreement is written such that the government may rescind it unilaterally. It is also contrary to existing law in US Code that cap severances to $25k. If it is "administrative leave", then that is capped to 10 days per year.
2. Violating non-competes. If a person is still employed by the US government, they may be prohibited from working for a contractor or other employer with conflicts of interest.
Article by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE): https://www.afge.org/article/afge-cautions-feds-not-to-be-tr...