Reconsideration of Claim for Severance Pay

A former employee requested reconsideration of the disallowance of his claim for severance pay. The employee, who resided in Potomac, Maryland, was separated for refusal to accompany his activity when it moved to Reston, Virginia. The employee was not entitled to severance pay since the Civil Service Commission had determined that Potomac and Reston were in the same commuting area, and the employee would not have been compelled to change his residence. The refusal of the employee to accept an order of reassignment within the same commuting area, made in the best interests of the government, constituted insubordination, and as such came under the general heading of misconduct. An employee is not entitled to severance pay if separated for cause based on misconduct.