Q. I have 33 years of service and will have 35 when I reach age 62. I am ready to move on; however, I am only 60 and would like to delay/postpone/resign (unsure which term to use) my actual retirement date until age 62. In other words I do not want to retire on paper until age 62 but at the same time stop coming into work six months before turning 62 and still pay for health benefits under FERS. Which form(s) should be completed?
A. There is no provision in law or regulation that would allow you to do what you are proposing. Further, the Comptroller General of the United States has ruled that employees may not take terminal leave. Since you are already eligible to retire, you can do that whenever you want to. You just need to pick a date that meets your needs.
8 Comments
If the supervisor approves, why not take LWOP?
The Comptroller General has ruled that employees may not take terminal leave, which is what that would amount to.
What is to prevent some taking all their leave prior to retirement and then just come to work for 1/4 hour on their retirement day? Technically not terminal leave, as they would work immediately prior to retirement.
When it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Giving it a tiny bow tie won’t change that.
So what happens if an employee does that? Is he forcibly retired at the time he took the leave? Is he forced to work longer? If nothing happens; he effectually got away with taking terminal leave.
On actuality if one is to retire, it is better to sell leave than to take it.
I don’t do “what ifs” or juggle alternatives.
This is disturbing that someone with this amount of service has no clue as to their own immediate retirement eligibility or the basics for FERS retirement. This person makes the case for MANDATORY retirement classes for ALL Federal civil service employees who are retirement eligible.
This person is either very dumb or actually a soon to be divorced spouse of a federal employee with this much service trying to determine how much of their soon to be ex’s FERS annuity they will get in a divorce settlement!!!
I find it hard to believe that a federal worker age 60 with 33+ years of civil service does not know that they can retire immediately full annuity benefits and full medical.
It amazes me, too.