Q. I am under CSRS and have been with the FBI for 38 uninterrupted years, and at 58 years of age, I am eligible to retire. I am very interested in the “phased retirement” option. I began filling out retirement paperwork with a Jan. 3, 2013, retirement date in mind.
If I wish to pursue the “phased retirement” option, should I wait (for guidelines/direction/phased retirement forms) before turning in retirement paperwork with a Jan. 3, 2013, retirement date in mind? In other words, I realize retirement paperwork should be turned in at least six months in advance, but I do not want to cause any problems with being eligible for phased retirement in case paperwork for phased retirement should be turned in along with, or in lieu of, retirement paperwork.
Are you aware of where I can find guidance/direction and forms for phased retirement, or do you know when these will be available?
A. At this time there are lots of questions and no answers. We’ll all have to wait until the Office of Personnel Management publishes regulations and guidance to see what the general lay of the land will be. After that, agencies will have to establish internal policies and procedures. Since there is no requirement that an agency provide this option and, even if it does, may limit its use, opportunities to enter phased retirement are likely to be spotty at best.
