Q. I plan to retire the end of this year under FERS and will be 67½. If I retire Dec. 31, that will be in the middle of a pay period. If I wait until Jan. 11, that will be the end of a pay period and I will get all of my sick leave counted toward retirement. If I wait until Jan. 11, will I lose all annual leave over 240 hours? I won’t be on the rolls for annuity until Feb. 1 or eligible for my first check March 1, I think. I was hoping that if I put in my retirement paperwork for Jan. 11, 2014, three months in advance, I would not lose the annual leave, but I don’t know.
A. As long as you retire no later than Jan. 11, 2014, the end of the 2013 leave year, you’ll get credit for all your unused sick leave, and a lump-sum payment for all your unused annual leave.
