Q. I want to clarify how my unused sick leave will be calculated into my retirement annuity. I worked for more than 10 years in federal service, left and came back for one year. I meet the MRA+years. I am 58 and planning on leaving federal service. Do I need to retire and postpone to 62 for my unused sick leave to be calculated in my retirement annuity? Or will it be calculated at 62 when I apply for retirement?
A. Your unused sick leave can be added to your actual service only if you retire on an immediate annuity. You can do that at age 62 with five years of service, 60 with 20, at your MRA with 30 or your MRA+10, but with a 5 percent per year reduction for every year you are under age 62. If you leave government before being eligible to retire and later apply for a deferred annuity, you won’t get any credit for the unused sick leave you had when you resigned from the government.
