(Click here to read Part One) To get credit for any period of military service, you need to deposit an amount that equals a percentage of your basic military basic pay, not including any allowances or differentials you may have received. The amount of the deposit depends on two things: whether you are covered by Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System, and when the military service occurred. For CSRS employees, the deposit equals 7 percent of your basic pay for periods of service performed before January 1, 1999, 7.25 percent for periods of service during 1999, 7.4…
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Q. I am a retired navy reservist and have been a civil servant since 2003. In 2003, I prepared a package of my active time and submitted it to the Navy and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, following the proper procedures. I submitted a check for the full amount that was in the package. The package, approved by the Navy and DFAS, included several DD Forms 214 and many Active duty days (regular annual 2 week periods plus additional active duty time). Excluded were regular reserve weekend drills. I paid in full for the time calculated by the Navy and…
Q. I’m a 37 year old federal law enforcement agent Series 1811. I have a medical condition that has affected my vision and likely cannot be corrected to the standards required by my agency without lengthy, involved treatment. Even though my eyesight has never affected my job, I qualify expert with my weapon and they are sending me to firearms instructor training, even as they say my eyesight is horrible. If in fact, the doctors tell me that I can’t correct my eyesight enough, will my agency force me into medical retirement? Can they give me another job? Do they…
In order for military service to be considered creditable for civilian retirement purposes, you must have done one of the following: Served on active duty in the armed forces, which are defined as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard and, after June 30, 1960, in the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service or, after June 30, 1961, in the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration; Served as a cadet in the Army, Air Force or Coast Guard academies or as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy; Been called to active duty…
Q. Can I still contribute by payroll deductions to my favorite charity through the Combined Federal Campaign after I retire?
Q. Where can I find my SF-52 step level information?
During turbulent times, the thoughts of many employees turn to retirement. If you are one of them, I want to alert you to some of the mistakes you can make on your way out the door. Fortunately, most of them can be avoided. 1. Not being able to carry your FEHB or FEGLI coverage into retirement. To carry your health benefits coverage into retirement, you must have been enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program for the five consecutive years before you retire (or from your first opportunity to enroll). If you don’t meet that requirement, you’ll be out…
If you are a retiring Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System employee in good health who wants to provide a federal survivor benefit to a person who wouldn’t otherwise be entitled to receive one, you can elect an insurable interest annuity. “Insurable interest” is an insurance term that applies to a person who would benefit financially by your continuing to be alive. According to the Office of Personnel Management, those who are presumed to have an insurable interest in you are your spouse, a blood or adoptive relative closer than a first cousin, a former spouse, someone…
In my last column, I reviewed the rules governing reductions in force for everyone except members of the Senior Executive Service. This time, I’ll describe the rules governing them. To begin with, an agency must lay out a plan that explains how its RIF procedures work and how they will affect members of the SES. Like the rules for other employees, the first steps are to establish competitive areas and retention registers. After that, the rules differ significantly from those applying to other employees. Competitive areas As a first step, your agency must define the area of competition. While it…
As sequestration tightens its hold and Congress carves away at agency budgets, losing your job is a distinct possibility. To be prepared, you need to have a clear understanding of the rules governing reductions-in-force (RIFs). Every agency has to follow RIF procedures, which require them to establish competitive areas, competitive levels and retention registers. Here is what you need to know: Competitive areas Competitive areas are the geographical or organizational limits within which you’ll be competing for retention — in other words, keeping your job. A competitive area can consist of all or part of an agency. However, it can’t…