WHEN CAN I SUBMIT MY APPLICATION FOR PHASED RETIREMENT

Although the Office of Personnel Management is still issuing rulings regarding the policy regulations of Phased Retirement, applications can be submitted in November all things being equal.  Many of the policy guidelines that have already been issued by OPM regarding Phased Retirement do not encompass many of the procedures agencies will be held accountable for.

• Also Read: Want to Leave Before 62? Here’s the Tradeoff Most Federal Workers Don’t Consider
• Also Read: 3 Ways CSRS Retirees Can Avoid Social Security Reductions Due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)
• Also Read: Your Next Federal Pay Raise Might Come With a Tradeoff—Here’s What to Watch

OPM has promised to provide broad guidance to agencies in helping them implement the Phased Retirement program inasmuch as agencies must decide whether an employee can participate or not.  If the agency does not sanction the employee’s participation, I have not read any regulations that speak to appeals rights.  For now it appears the agency is the final authority on whether an employee can participate in the program or not.  This is certainly not a process that should be otherwise, because the employees are still under the jurisdiction of their respective agencies.

Federal employees only become wards for lack of a better word of the Office of Personnel Management when they retire.  We mentioned previously that retirees are not eligible to participate in Phased Retirement because these individuals according to statue will receive half of their salary and half of their annuity.  Regular retirees do not receive any of their salary, just an annuity either from their employment as FERS or CSRS employees.

P. S.  Always Remember to Share What You Know.

Dianna Tafazoli