Q: I will be eligible to retire from the government with 32 years of service in November 2013. I am considering going to a part-time schedule (32 hours per week) for family reasons beginning in September 2010. Under new guidelines for computing annuities for part-time employees, how will this affect my “high 3?”
A: For high-3 purposes, your part-time service will be treated as if you had been working full-time; therefore, your annuity will still be based on your highest three consecutive years of average salary. On the other hand, your service credit for that period of part-time employment will be less than it would have been if you were working full time, and your annuity for that period will be prorated accordingly.
