Q. My office has requested the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay. With the government shutdown, there has been a delay in the approval process. My position is one within the organization that has been approved for VSIP once the authority is received. I am a FERS employee, over 50, with 26 years of creditable service. I plan to exercise the early-out authority once received, after Jan. 1, 2014, so that I will receive 100 percent sick leave credit toward my annuity.
In the meantime, I applied for and have been offered a position in the private sector. They would like to establish a start date for early January. If the VERA/VSIP takes longer than my agency expects and delays the date I project for retirement, do regulations allow for me to request leave without pay until my retirement paperwork can be processed?
A. That’s a question your agency will have to answer. The authority to grant leave without pay is delegated to them and through them to your supervisor.
