What is the Voluntary Severance Program?
This program gives certain New York State employees the option of receiving a one-time $20,000 lump sum payment if they choose to retire or leave State service. Employees must have at least ten years of full-time annual State service or be otherwise retirement eligible and voluntarily leave the payroll. (Note: There may be situations where agency management can offer the severance to full-time annual-salaried employees with less than ten years of service as part of their submitted plan. You should check with your employer if you have questions about your eligibility.) Individuals who elect to receive this payment cannot be rehired by an Executive Branch agency or public authority in any capacity for five years. If a participant in the program decides to return to State employment before the end of the five year period, he or she will be required to repay the severance payment in full.
