Phased Retirement – Has Its Time Come?

Dianna Tafazoli
March 26, 2014

Phased Retirement

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has proposed a “Phased Retirement” program. Although implementation has not been announced, it may be valuable to our readers to get a jump start on what Phased Retirement is all about.

The Office of Personnel Management realizes the importance of preserving and protecting institutional knowledge. As federal employees

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leave the federal service, it is apparent that their physical-selves are not the only aspect of their presence that is leaving the service. The knowledge and know-how acquired over a life-time of federal service is also leaving, an invaluable and irreplaceable resource, and a resource that can only be preserved and protected by the passing on of knowledge.

Knowledge unshared is truly knowledge lost. Through Phased Retirement, OPM is exploring a way to harness some of that knowledge by introducing a mechanism by which potential retirees can stay a little longer, until that knowledge and expertise can be ingested and digested by the next generation of federal workers.

In essence that is the core concept of Phased Retirement. The idea of Phased Retirement is a very clear signal as to the trajectory of the federal workforce. It also is a clear indication that the leadership of the largest workforce in the world has seen the flaw of reactionary management. Every successful workforce, no matter its size, is better served by recognizing the value of knowledge and working proactively to preserve and protect a resource of unparalleled importance to the growth and prosperity of a nation.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.