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2016 CBA Tentati ve Agreement Page 73 of 217 Section 6. Union sponsored in - person briefings: a. Once annually, the Union shall provide the Agency at the national level a schedule of briefing dates, tim es, locations and a briefing on the materials to be presented. Subject to staffing and workload, the Agency shall grant eight (8) hours of excused absence to bargaining unit employees to participate in these briefings. The Agency will not pay travel, per d iem, tuition, or other related costs for the Union sponsored briefings. b. At the local level, requests for excused absence to attend these briefings shall be submitted to the Agency by the Union no later than forty - five (45) days prior to the date of the br iefing. Such requests shall be approved/disapproved no later than twenty - eight (28) days prior to the date of the briefing. Employee names submitted less than forty - five (45) days in advance shall be approved/disapproved in the order they were received. Section 7. The Agency shall provide a retirement planning program for individuals participating in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) employees shall receive information as part of orientation, a nd follow - up individual counseling. The program may include, but not be limited to, individual counseling, assistance, information and materials distribution via hardcopy or a link to a publicly accessible website. This planning program shall be made avail able to all new employees within one (1) year of entering on duty with the Agency. Employees who elect to change from CSRS to FERS shall have this planning program made available to them within one (1) year of their election. FERS employees who have not re ceived this program shall have it made available to them within two (2) years of the signing of this Agreement. Employees participating in this program shall be in a duty status. Employees are not entitled to travel and per diem. FERS employees shall recei ve standard education on the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) during the TSP Open Seasons, and upon any major change to TSP. Section 8. Brochures and pamphlets associated with benefits programs shall be provided to the national and regional offices of the Union. Section 9. The Agency shall ensure that the most recent version of retirement and benefits information, including the following brochures and forms are available to employees for review: a. enrollment Information Guide and Plan Comparison Chart; b. brochures on both government - wide plans; c. any brochures they may request on plans sponsored by employee organizations for which employees may qualify; and d. brochures of all comprehensive plans serving the area in which the employee is located. Section 10. If there is any change in retirement or benefits, or related laws or regulations, the Agency at the national level shall within thirty (30) days brief the Union at the national level. Any changes which may require negotiations shall be handled in accordance with Article 7.

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