Q: I am 52 years old and a FERS employee with 31 years of credible federal service. I would like to quit and do something outside of the government. I already have my high threes, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Then sometime after turning minimum retirement age 56 and having 30 years, I plan to return to federal service to resume earning credible service time. My question is how many more year(s) must I work to receive full retirement benefits before I am re-eligible to retire from federal government service?
A: Because you are covered by FERS, there is no requirement that you be re-employed for a certain amount of time before you retire. All you need is the right combination of age and service. However, it would be unfair to your new employer to accept a job under false pretenses and immediately retire.
