Q: I was told by my physician that I will probably have to go on temporary disability. Is this allowed as a Federal Employees Retirement System employee? If this happens, will I have to use leave during this time, and if not, would I still get my regular wage? A: The federal government doesn’t have a short-term disability benefit. To be eligible for disability retirement, you would need to have a disabling condition that 1) prevented you from performing useful and efficient service in your current position or another position at the same pay level in your commuting area, and…
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Q. I plan on retiring on the close of business, Friday, Dec. 31,2010. I am a FERS employee. Since that day is the New Year holiday, I will have completed my 80-hour work week. But I will retire prior to the end of the leave period, which is Saturday. Will I accrue the eight hours of annual leave and the four hours of sick leave for that pay period, or will I forfeit it because I did not remain an employee for the entire pay period? A: According to OPM, you only need to complete your 80-hour work week to…
It’s not too late to retire in 2009, and it’s not too soon to at least begin planning to retire in 2010 or 2011. For this year and the next two years, the calendar is working in favor of many of you. Let me explain. As my regular readers know, my position is that there is no one best date to retire. However, each of you can pick the best one for you if you know how. First, you must figure out if you are ready to retire. To do that, you have to answer three questions: Do you meet…
Q: What would happen if someone wants to retire on Aug. 31, 2010 (service date), but his sick leave will give him three months’ credit. Can he retire three months early with the same annuity? A: No. Unused sick leave never qualifies anyone to retire. It’s only credited after you meet the age and service requirements to retire.
Q: In the Federal Employees Retirement System, when can we take sick-leave cash? Only at retirement or before? A: Regardless of whether you are covered by the Civil Service Retirement System or FERS, you can never cash in your sick leave. It has no cash value.
Q: This regards the recently enacted legislation that allows retirees to return to work on a part-time, limited basis. I noticed in a recent inquiry regarding annual leave, the following statement was made: “When you retire, unused annual leave is projected forward as if you were still on the agency’s rolls. If you were to return to work for the government after retiring, you would have to refund the money for any days that have not gone by.” My agency is considering hiring me back for two weeks after I retire to clean up some leftover work, but as a…
Q: I’m 58 and have planned on retiring at the end of the year with 40 years and a Civil Service Retirement System annuity. I’ve saved all my annual leave and compensation time, and plan to bank the maximum credit hours to create a significant nest egg (new kitchen). I intended to keep working after retirement, and now they have passed what once was Senate Bill 629- Part-Time Reemployment of Annuitants Act. Sounds like my wish came true and nobody is laughing when I say I want to come back, but I’d like to only work half as many hours…