![\"Metro](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/47ZMDPSYMRA3VNNWUFHKM5SJNI.jpg\")
Metro IRS workers are facing payment delays after taking early retirement in workforce reduction(KCTV5)<\/p>\nKANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) \u2014 Hundreds of Kansas City Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other federal workers who took early retirement as part of the Trump administration\u2019s plan to shrink the federal workforce are still waiting for promised payments nearly three months later.<\/p>\n
Reduction in the federal workforce <\/b><\/p>\n
In early 2025, in an effort to reduce the federal workforce, the Trump Administration had a \u2018Fork in the Road\u2019 email sent to all federal employees. Employees had the chance to take the deferred resignation program (DRP). <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been there almost 40 years, and I\u2019ve never seen anything like this before coming from whoever that decides to lay out an order,\u201d said Retired IRS Tax Analyst, Fawn Collins. <\/p>\n
Many Kansas City IRS employees juggled whether or not to take the deal. Thousands of workers were estimated to have taken the initial deal.<\/p>\n
In April 2025, the DRP 2.0 was offered, as well as voluntary retirement. <\/p>\n
\u201cI had not planned on retiring for another 3 years,\u201d said Robyn Backman, who retired as an IRS Management Program Analyst. <\/p>\n
\u201cI really did enjoy my job, and no, I was not planning on retiring,\u201d said Retired IRS Tax Compliance Officer, Kelley Slattery.<\/p>\n
Metro IRS workers are facing payment delays after taking early retirement in workforce reduction(KCTV5)<\/p>\n
Taking the deal <\/b><\/p>\n
Many agreed to take the deal then as well, including Fawn Collins, Kristi Darby, Robyn Backman, and Kelley Slattery, who all worked for the IRS and live in the Kansas City Metro. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt got to a point where physically, mentally, and for my health-wise, I wasn\u2019t going to be able to sustain another two years,\u201d said Collins. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband retired last summer, so I was like, Why not?\u201d said Kristi Darby, who retired as an IRS Senior Tax Analyst. <\/p>\n
After taking the DRP offers, many IRS employees didn\u2019t work for most of the summer, but were paid as promised by the program. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is basically kind of like a severance pay if you retire, we are going to pay you through September 30th, but you don\u2019t have work, most of us at the IRS are required to work till June 27 for filing season, not working but getting paid,\u201d said Backman. \u201cI had the budget, I\u2019m a numbers person, I had the Excel sheet, and I thought ok I can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The six women KCTV5 Investigates spoke with all had their retirement date set as September 30. <\/p>\n
\u201cI retired on September 30. I had what little payment was left that was around October 14, and I have received nothing,\u201d said Darby. <\/p>\n
![\"IRS](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4464JXWHAJCCTEKHUBHKGU574Q.jpg\")
IRS building in Kansas City(KCTV5)<\/p>\n
Waiting for payments owed<\/b><\/p>\n
These women said that after September 30, they had not received much communication about the next steps they initially expected. <\/a><\/p>\n According to paperwork from the U.S. Office of Personnel, which handles these retirements, it shows a timeline of what the next steps are. <\/p>\n \u201cNothing that we were promised has happened,\u201d said Collins. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s what was expected. After retiring, they were set to get their final paycheck and annual leave payment within four to six weeks. <\/p>\n