Q. I had three years of previous federal service more than 25 years ago. I’m considering a job with the post office. Will previous service credit count toward post office service credit?
A. Yes, provided that you redeposit the full amount of the retirement contributions that were refunded to you when you left government, plus accrued interest.
1 Comment
That answer was a little oversimplified – there are many categories of federal service for which one cannot make a deposit. (I.e., nonappropriated fund service with the military departments in most circumstances, service with commissions that are not federal by either statute or OPM’s definition but which have authorization to appoint people into the civil service structure). And what if one wasn’t in a a retirement plan withe prior employer and has no deposit to make? Would it then be creditable for leave accrual rate setting only? Would one be allowed to move the previously earned sick leave hours?