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2016 CBA Tentati ve Agreement Page 72 of 217 ARTICLE 41 RETIREMENT AND BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Section 1. The Agency recognizes its obligation to fully inform employees about all benefits for which they may be eligible and the costs and consequences of benefit plans or options, and to encourage them to avail themselves of such benefits, and to assist them in initiating claims. The Agency agrees to take affirmative action to fulfill this obligation through such means as providing employees with a link to a publicly accessible website, supplying brochures, pamphlets, other appropriate information and assisting employees in filing benefit claims. The information and/or assistance shall be made available to all bargaining unit employees. Section 2. The Agenc y shall maintain a personnel action system which requires priority processing of packages related to employee deaths. Such personnel actions shall take priority over all other personnel actions. Section 3. After an employee's death, and with the beneficia ry's consent, the Agency shall promptly dispatch a knowledgeable representative to the home of the deceased employee's primary beneficiary. When a personal briefing is not desired, the beneficiary shall be advised by other means, such as telephone, persona l intermediary, email, or website. All benefits to which a deceased employee's beneficiary may be entitled shall be fully explained. The representative shall assist in completing the appropriate forms and filing the claim for unpaid compensation benefits. Those benefits shall include, but not be limited to, lump sum leave payment, any retirement insurance, Social Security benefits and other services to which the beneficiary may be entitled. This representative shall be the contact point until all applicable benefits are settled. Section 4. The Parties recognize the importance of providing employees education on the retirement systems. The Agency shall maintain a retirement planning program to be made available to employees. The program shall include, but no t be limited to, briefings, individual counseling, assistance, information and materials distribution. I t is optimal for employees to be afforded the opportunity to participate in an in - person briefing. The options in Sections 5 and 6 are available to em ployees within seven (7) years of retirement eligibility. Employees shall be afforded duty time/excused absence to participate in one (1) Agency or Union sponsored briefing. Employees are not prohibited from participating in additional Agency programs in a non - duty status, subject to space availability. Section 5. Agency sponsored briefings: a. Agency sponsored in - person briefings within the commuting area. Employees will be allowed to participate in a duty status if otherwise in a duty status. Employees no rmally shall attend briefings within their commuting area. Employees are not entitled to travel and per diem except, when no briefing is scheduled within the commuting area, the Agency shall authorize , on a one - time basis, either the use of a Government Ow ned Vehicle (GOV) or a Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) to attend the nearest briefing outside the commuting area. b. When no briefing is scheduled in the commuting area or at the request of the employee, the employee may attend an Agency sponsored interactive virtual briefing (e.g. Webex, webinar, GoTo Meeting) in a duty status if otherwise in a duty status.

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