[Request for Decision Concerning GSA Employee's Claim for Backpay]

The General Services Administration (GSA) requested a decision as to whether a GSA employee was entitled to backpay and relocation expenses for the period he was unemployed due to administrative error. GAO noted that: (1) GSA incorrectly advised the employee that he was eligible for retirement; (2) the employee involuntarily retired and GSA eliminated his position; (3) the Office of Personnel Management charged the employee's retirement to involuntary termination; and (4) the employee returned to work at a new duty station. GAO held that: (1) since administrative error induced his retirement, the employee was entitled to backpay for the period he was off the employment rolls; (2) since the employee bought a residence in a location other than his original duty station, he was entitled to reimbursement for the cost of shipping his household goods from his residence to his new duty station, not to exceed what the cost would have been to ship his goods from his original duty station; and (3) the employee was entitled to other relocation expenses he would have received if the erroneous action had not occurred. Accordingly, GSA should reimburse the employee for his moving expenses and pay him for the period he was unemployed.