Q. I am a GS 6 step 3. I was recently notified that I had received a within-grade increase (Grade 7); however, nobody has been able to tell me what step I am at, and the information hasn’t updated in my service record screen yet. Can you tell me what step I should be at? A. If you were at step 3, a reasonable assumption is that you are now at step 4.
Browsing: federal employment
Q. I’m an electronic technician with the Postal Service and applied for a electronic technician position with the FAA. If I were offered the job, would my time carry over? If my current pay is between the pay scales, is it matched to what I currently make? Since I’m already a federal employee, I wouldn’t need to go through probation again, right? Where can I find out the pay scales and how much annual and sick leave are accrued? Should I know or consider any other information? A. Your years of service, leave accrual rate and TSP investments would transfer…
Q. Can I include county time with my federal time toward total years served in my retirement? If so, how? A. No.
Q. I worked for the federal government from 1966 to 1969 and from 1981 to 1985. I did not pay Social Security. I returned to work in 1988 and worked until 2010 and did pay Social Security. I was told by a girl at a Social Security office that I am not under the windfall elimination provision because I didn’t make enough money, yet another office tells me that because I worked for six years without paying SS, I am under the WEP. I am very confused. Should my Social Security benefits be calculated under the WEP? If they are,…
Q. I have 17 years of prior service in the United States Postal Service under CSRS, and I’m employed by the state of New York. I would like to know if there is a way to combine my federal and state times. A. There isn’t. FYI: If you didn’t take a refund of your retirement contributions when you left the Postal Service, you could apply for a deferred CSRS annuity at age 62.
Q. I have four years and 10 months of federal service and six years of active military duty. I am no longer in federal service. Can I buy my military time and qualify for a federal pension? A. No.
Q. I resigned at the beginning of a pay period from my position with the Department of Defense due to a hostile work environment. When I received my leave and earnings statement, I noticed I was coded as being AWOL for the balance of hours remaining in the pay period, after I had actually resigned. When I inquired about this, I was told that if leave is not requested, then it is coded as AWOL. I replied by essentially asking, how could I have been AWOL if I had already resigned? I did not receive a reply. Is it possible…
Q. I retired from the Department of Justice in 2007. I received a $25,000 VSIP. I returned to work before the five-year waiting period and repaid the entire $25,000. I am employed by a different agency and am now thinking about going out after only two years. Am I eligible for a new VSIP? A. Absolutely not. By law, payment of a VSIP is a one-time, non-repeatable event.
Q. I’m a FERS employee. I’d like assistance in computing how much federal service I have so I can determine how much more I need to qualify for a federal service pension. I have about nine years in the U.S. Army, as well as about five years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. My understanding is that both periods of service count toward federal service for pension purposes — but I need the totals so I can use that for a basis for moving forward. Which agency should I contact, and how should I make sure all of the federal service…
Q. If I have 25 years of service and I am 52 and I have health insurance for 15 years, can I take my health insurance with me if I retire this year? Can you go from a federal job to a state job and have your service time go on? Or can you go from a state job to a federal job and have your service time go on? A. Unless your agency offers you an opportunity to retire early, you can’t retire. You don’t meet the age and service requirements to do that. Your federal service wouldn’t be…