Q: I work for the post office, I have 20 years in service and four years military that I have bought back, so 24 years total time. I have a 76-year-old mother who is recovering from cancer and will need in-home care. The post office offered early outs, 25 years of service at any age, to clerks and management but not to carriers like myself. Is there someone I could petition to have the post office extend the early out to me so I can take care of my mother? Hardship retirement?
A: By law, offers of early retirement are designed to assist an agency in carrying out personnel or workload changes, not to meet personal needs or desires. If you don’t receive an offer of early retirement, your only options would be continue working or to resign from the government and apply for a deferred annuity at age 60.
