Q. After 32 years of service, I retired from the VA in February 2011. My old boss called me up and asked if I would come in, as a contractor (not a VA employee), and help out doing what I did before retirement. How would this affect the civil service retirement annuity that I presently receive, and is this legal for me to do?
A. Assuming that you didn’t receive a buyout when you retired, there is no legal bar to your working under a personal services contract. However, your former boss should check with the personnel office to be sure that your agency doesn’t have a policy limiting such an arrangement.