Q. I worked as a GS clinical nurse from Sept. 12, 1999, to Sept. 24, 2005 — a total of six years. On May 10, 2010, I returned to federal service as a GS clinical nurse. My service computation date was determined to be Feb. 8, 2008. How was this date arrived at? I previously worked from February 1991 to January 1996 as a GS worker and foolishly took my retirement monies out. I know I have lost that time. But that should not cause me to lose three years of service time, should it?
A. Unless you re-deposit the refund you took when you left government, with interest, you’ll get no retirement credit for it in determining your length of service and in your annuity computation. On the other hand, your agency appears to have given you some credit for leave accrual purposes. However, why they haven’t given you credit for all of it is something you’ll have to ask them.