Q. I am 44 years old with 26 years of service and have verified I qualify for discontinued service retirement. Half of our staff (12 employees) is being reassigned — first asking for volunteers, then management-directed reassignment to reach the required staffing level.
I read on the Office of Personnel Management website that if an agency undergoes a “transfer of function,” the head of your agency can ask the OPM to permit early optional retirement for eligible employees. This is confusing because I have also read that once a written MDR has been received, I can simply attach that reassignment paperwork to my retirement application and opt for a discontinued service retirement. Does my agency (Department of Energy) need special authority from OPM to allow me a DSR?
A. I don’t know where you read that a management-directed reassignment would qualify you for discontinued service retirement, but it isn’t so unless certain conditions are met: for example, if you were ordered to take a position outside your commuting area.
