Q. I am nearing 20 years of service and am over 56 years old. As of March 6, 2014, I will have 20 years of federal service and, as of March 31, a total of 20 years, five months and 16 days counting all of my creditable sick leave.
To apply for Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay, do I first have to be retirement eligible? Am I able to adjust my retirement date and still keep 20 years service by applying unused sick days, or are they only attached to the end of my total federal service time?
A. You must have the amount of actual service to retire. Unused sick leave is only added after you meet that requirement.