The Trump administration is spearheading a controversial relocation of multiple Agriculture Department agencies to Kansas City. Employee unions were up in arms about the effort, as it would require federal employees to uproot from the DC area for an overall reduction in pay. While incentives were recently introduced, federal workplace expert Mika Cross says that making this decision will have big ramifications for federal employees.
“Consider this; federal employees’ retirement is based on the highest level of pay. If they move this change affects, not just here and now but long term, their ability to have a sustainable retirement down the road,” Cross said. “Their retirement calculations will be based on this pay, including their locality pay, which is up to $15,000 per year lower than Washington D.C. area.”
