Q. I retired from DoD in 2007 under Civil Service Retirement System at age 56 with 31 years of service. In 2008, I went back to work for DoD as a part-time employee working 16 hours per week (832 hours per year). I was hired to fulfill functions critical to the mission of my agency. My SF 50 lists me as a permanent employee and my Annuitant Indicator is CS-No Reduction. My question is: Assuming my employer wants me to continue working, how long can I work on my current part-time job? I have read that an appointment cannot last for more than 2,087 hours (e.g., 1 year full time or 2 years part time) to mentor less-experienced employees and/or to provide continuity during critical organizational transitions.
However, on a Social Security site discussing the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (www.ssa.gov/legislation/legis_bulletin_102809.html) it mentions that a waiver to the dual compensation rules for CSRS annuitants who are re-employed in order to fulfill functions critical to the mission of the agency cannot be applied to annuitants working more than 520 hours in a six-month period, 1,040 hours in a 12-month period, or for more than a total of 3,120 hours. The waiver authority terminates after five years. That would indicate that at a rate of 832 hours worked per year, I could work part time for a total of 3.75 years instead of two years. Which number is correct?
A. You were hired under a special authority granted to DoD. You’ll need to go to your personnel office and ask them how long you can remain on the rolls. The other authority to which you referred was prospective and applies to all other agencies of government.
