Q: If a CSRS Offset employee with 19 years, five months of service had seven months of unused sick leave, could that sick leave count toward attaining the 20 years of service the employee would need to retire early/now? Or does the employee need to have a minimum 20 years comp. service without any sick or vacation leave? Are there different rules for sick leave credit than the FERS? A: You must have enough years of actual service to be eligible to retire. Sick leave may only be added after you have met the age and service requirements.
Monthly Archives: June, 2011
Q: Is there any regulation that prevents a BRAC-affected activity from offering Voluntary Early Retirement Authorities or buyouts? A: No, there isn’t any regulation that would prevent the offer of early retirement or buyouts; nor is there any requirement that they be offered.
Q: I’m in CSRS and I’m 55 with 27-and-a-half years service. I’m considering getting married and would like to know if my future spouse can be covered under my FEHB enrollment if I get married and retire within two years of retirement or, if I wait to get married until after I retire would he eligible for FEHBP? Also, he is a FERS employee but he isn’t eligible for FEHB if he retires early with me. A: I’m not sure I understand the scenarios you presented. Fortunately, that doesn’t matter. If you get married, you can switch your enrollment from…
Q: I read your column faithfully in Fed Times and I have some questions concerning the special retirement supplement I am receiving along with my FERS annuity. I retired under the special 6(c) law enforcement retirement (I had reached the age of 57) on Dec 31, 2009. I just received a 2010 Annuity Supplement Earnings Report from OPM today in the mail. Your May 16th column suggests that I may fall under one of the exceptions. I did begin working again in 2010 for the state police, which does not participate or deduct Social Security. Can you provide some guidance…
Q: I read on Fed Weekly that some congressional discussions occurred on the subject of allowing federal workers to transfer all or part of their unused sick and annual leave into their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. Are there any discussions on this topic and if so, do you know the status and if and when this would be implemented? A: While there may have been discussions, none of them have resulted in a legislative proposal being introduced in either chamber of Congress.
Q: Can external hires actually negotiate salary when most (if not all) federal vacancies state a fairly wide pay range? I’ve heard different things, but wish to know from you what the real answer is. A: Agencies have the authority to negotiate the starting pay of an external hire within the pay range for a position. Whether they are willing to do so, and to what extent, depends on the skills and abilities the candidate brings to the table, his current salary, and how critical the agency’s needs are.
Q: I receive retention pay of 10 percent of my base salary. I have run across articles that indicate that retention pay can be used to calculate the high-3. Is that true? A: As a rule, recruiting and relocation bonuses and retention allowances are not considered part of the basic pay of an employee for any purpose, including calculation of retirement annuity. Since a high-3 is based solely on basic pay, the amount from which retirement deductions are taken, you can get a pretty good idea about how your pay is being treated by looking at your latest pay slip.…