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Information on this page is provided by Roseanne Jefferson.
Roseanne is a retired USPS employee with an extensive background in USPS
retirement, disability retirement, OWCP, EEO, Labor Relations and HR.
She conducts individual and group counseling and is able to
comprehensively discuss the pros and cons of employees who are on OWCP,
disability retirement and regular retirement. Roseanne will be happy
to answer your postal retirement questions. Contact Roseanne at
roseanne.jefferson@yahoo.com. |
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Postal Retirement
Q&A February 2012 |
Good Day Postal Employees
Last month's column
got the most blogging I have seen
since I have been writing these
columns. This can be a tough crowd!! I
really thought that most would
appreciate the (true) story and the
BIG shout out for our AMAZING carriers
and what they do everyday...guess not
!! I got one email that told me to
"stick to writing what I KNOW about,
retirement, OWCP and HR
"stuff"...that's what we really want
to hear". OK OK...So here goes....NO -
there is STILL NO WORD ON AN EARLY
OUT, AND SO NO WORD ON AN INCENTIVE
EITHER...so those of you who read the
column just to find that out....OK yer
done, the rest can read some very
interesting Q and A's that I have
answered in the past couple of months.
Q 1. Hello Roseanne, I have 35
years with the Post Office as a rural
carrier under Civil Service. With sick
leave, 36 plus. Why is it that rural
carriers seem never to be included in
early outs? I work myself to death
trying to get everything done on time
everyday with no more than 4 or 5
minutes to myself all day. NO BREAKS.
Seems that the postal service likes to
sweeten the pot for management without
considering us at all. I have worked
harder than most management and
deserve a chance at an incentive to
get out before I drop over dead before
I retire. As a matter of fact, I spent
the last 2 days in the hospital with
what looks like a heart condition, and
I will blame it on stress from my
Postmaster. I read recently that the
next out might be due to the payment
the PO was supposed to pay. And again,
I have heard that it will go to
management first, if not all of it.
Part of that money belonged to me also
and I deserve a chance at the same out
they will offer management. Your
thoughts!!!
A 1. If you are
asking my thoughts...under rules and
regulations of OPM (governing body of
federal agencies, as it relates to
personnel issues), very specific
criteria must be validated and bench
marks met in order to initiate a
request for an "early out"; as well as
one, that would include a monetary
incentive within the "early out
package". That being said, you as well
as many others have strongly agreed
with the philosophy that the agency is
over loaded with EAS employees' middle
management, upper management etc. It
would seem that if that philosophy
were followed by OPM, then yep, EAS
would be getting an offer and perhaps
a monetary incentive. So perhaps after
all that preaching about the post
office being TOP heavy, as they say,
they will be the first to go...again
using that philosophy. The financial
solvency of the post office will
dictate how many they NEED to "retire"
in order to come to a payroll that
they can afford, with all the benefits
that meet with the current revenue. I
suspect with 35 yrs or more, you no
doubt are eligible to retire or really
really close. I understand everyone is
waiting to hear about an early out,
and I think Feb-Mar for an
announcement. Roseanne
Q 2. Hi
Roseanne, I am a CSRS postal employee
with 35 years service. My question is
if I retire Dec. 1 2012 with an earned
annual leave balance of 630 hours will
I receive that amount in a check? The
balance represents the 440 I have
accrued up to Jan. 1 2011 and the 190
or so I have earned in 2012. Also can
you direct me to the documentation
that led you to your answer? I would
really appreciate it. Thank you for
your time. T
A 2. Hi T, Yes,
you are paid for ALL earned annual
leave, providing you retire on Dec 1,
because if you go over the year, and
retire in Jan, you WILL lose any
amount over the carry over. So the
question below is answered with the
first sentence. The second sentence,
The balance represents the 440 I have
accrued up to Jan. 1 2011 and the 190
or so I have earned in 2012;
is not
quite making sense to me. If you
retire in Dec, how did you expect to
earn the 190 hours in 2012? That may
be where your confusion is, and where
the confusion is when you are asking
someone else. Before I give you where
the information is, I need to be sure
you know what you are asking and that
both sentence's in your question are
somewhat contradictory. Roseanne
Q 2 (a). Hi, I hope this clears my
question up. In January of this year I
have the maximum carryover of 440
hours. I am going to work until
December 1 2012. On December 1 2012 I
would have worked 24 pay periods and I
would have earned 192 hours of annual
at 8 hours per pay period. That would
give me a total of 632 of annual
leave. I was under the impression that
all I would be paid for is the 440. I
believe it is called a terminal leave
check? Would my total be for the 632
hours or only the 440 hours. I did get
one other answer and that was I would
be paid for the 632 if it was under a
VERA . Sorry for the confusion? Thanks
again T
A 2 (a) Hi T, Didn't
want to leave you hanging...been a bit
busy with retirement here in NC and
SC. I wanted to give you a quote so
that you have valid info. I know that
I me, Roseanne, retired with over the
maximum, but I did retire under the
VERA early out in July 2009, AND did
get paid for ALL my earned annual
leave.....BUT I was EAS. So that is
what I am checking to make sure you
have the absolute correct information.
It would be a bit helpful if you can
tell me what is your position.
Roseanne
Response: I am in the
clerk craft.
Final Follow Up
:Hi T, Handbook EL501 CSRS Retirement
Guide (Update thru July 2006)
Section 560 Civil Service Retirement
Program- section" 292 Annual Leave
Balance - Terminal Leave Payment
It is to your advantage to retire
with an annual leave balance since the
payment for terminal leave provides
you with funds while you wait for your
first annuity check. Note that:
a. If you are a bargaining unit
employee separating other than under
the Voluntary Early Out Retirement
Authority (VERA), you may receive a
lump sum payment for accumulated
annual leave carried over from the
previous year; accrued annual leave
for the year in which you separate, up
to the carryover maximum for your
bargaining unit; any unused donated
leave; and, if you are a full time or
part time regular employee, holidays
that fall within your terminal leave
period.
b. Any part of your
unused annual leave earned during the
leave year of your separation that is
in excess of the maximum carryover
amount is granted to you prior to
separation rather than paid out in the
form of a lump sum payment. Any of the
unused annual leave that you cannot
take within the leave year is
forfeited.
c. If you are a
non-bargaining unit employee or a
bargaining unit employee separating
under VERA, you may receive a lump sum
leave payment for accumulated annual
leave carried over from the previous
year; accrued annual leave for the
year you separate, including the
amounts over the carry-over maximum;
any unused donated leave; and if you
are a full time or part time regular
employee, holidays that fall within
your terminal leave period."
I
hope this quote from the EL501 will
help you understand how annual leave
works from the craft perspective and
the difference in paying "earned"
annual leave IF you retire under a
VERA early out. Roseanne
Q 3. I
have read most of your post and I am
really glad someone takes time to
answer Questions that is really hard
to obtain while working in the Post
Office. I have Questions and hoped you
have answers. CAN YOU GET FIRED FOR
AWOL WHILE ON OWCP, if you don't
provide a medical report to your
supervisor (management)? OWCP does pay
me and does not require me to send a
report or anything, I know i will get
paid if I'm not better, but management
is going to put me on AWOL for this?
My Doctor made a report and she said
my condition is permanent and have no
reason to think that I will get better
so I applied for Disability retirement
and social security. Do i have to even
think about this or just let
management do their way and let me get
fired while on OWCP. I know OWCP will
not stop due to AWOL. I will had been
on OWCP for almost 1 year and just
recently filed disability retirement
due to I don't want to lose that time
frame that i can apply. I don't
understand why I would get fired for
AWOL for not providing the management
a letter. I have already suffered
enough while working in the post
office now they want me to give them a
report every month for my permanent
disability? it's not that I don't want
to provide anything for them, it's a
hassle talking to management that does
not provide answers or any support.
actually it's managements fault why I
have all of these back problems, not
to mention my shoulder problem that is
currently not on my claim i tried to
add it but no luck yet OWCP wants a
report of history the whole nine yards
but my doctor is refusing to see me
for it due to it's not an approved
claim. i feel like it does not matter
cause i am getting paid already it
would be nice to get some treatment.
and to just see this letter makes me
want to jump out of my skin and, I am
currently being seen for emotional
issues due to this disaster. I
additionally have other health issues
that are affected by this, because of
management's abusive behavior. I know
you don't have to answer this and i
know i took your time but i just want
to thank you for being here and
hopefully you can teach us more about
your knowledge. sincerely, M.
A
3.
can you get fired for AWOL
while on OWCP if you don't provide a
medical report to your supervisor
(management)? Yes. You must provide
what they ask...them (the post office)
and OWCP..(who do you think is REALLY
paying you??? (FYI - the post
office)).
OWCP does pay me and
does not require me to send a report
or anything, and I know i will get
paid if I'm not better, but management
is going to put me on AWOL for this?
Maybe OWCP has not required it YET,
but if the post office is asking, so
will OWCP eventually in order for you
to remain on the OWCP rolls.
My
Doctor made a report and said my
condition is permanent and have no
reason to think that I will get
better. So I applied for Disability
retirement and social security. Do i
have to even think about this or just
let management do their way and let me
get fired while on OWCP. I know OWCP
will not stop due to AWOL. Something
does not sound right...let me continue
to read because I find as I take apart
each question, some answers are
revealed by something you say.
I will had been on OWCP for almost
1year and just recently filed
disability retirement due to I don't
want to lose that time frame that i
can apply. You should be OK since it
is an approved claim, and filing for
disability retirement while you are on
OWCP is typical and should be the
natural course of events.
I
don't understand why I would get fired
for AWOL for not providing the
management a letter. They have the
right to ask, and just so you don't
rock your BOAT, you need to comply.
I have already suffered enough
while working in the post office now
they want me to give them a report
every month for my permanent
disability? it's not that I don't want
to provide anything for them, it's a
hassle talking to management that does
not provide answers or any support.
actually it's managements fault why I
have back problems "not to mention my
shoulder problem that is currently not
on my claim i tried to add it but no
luck yet OWCP wants a report of
history the whole nine yards but my
doctor is refusing to see me for it
due to it's not an approved claim"
Yep that's what I thought! Part of
why they are asking IS because the
shoulder problem is not on an approved
claim. You gotta know they are going
to make you jump through every hoop
possible. Why would you think they
would pay for your shoulder issue when
it's not an approved claim. You say
your doctor is REFUSING to see you
because it's not an approved claim.
That sounds like BS to me.
i
feel like it does not matter cause i
am getting paid already it would be
nice to get some treatment. Yea until
the money stops and you will wish you
would have followed through. Sure
maybe you are right, but why would you
even take the chance of not following
through if your claim is legitmate.
...and to just see this letter
makes me want to jump out of my skin,
and currently being treated for
emotional issues due to this disaster.
I additionally have other health
issues that are being affected by this
due to management abusive behavior. I
know you don't have to answer this and
i know i took your time but i just
want to thank you for being here and
hopefully you can teach us more about
your knowledge.
First, your
goal should be to continue to have an
income. By not complying you are in
jeopardy of losing the money. Sure,
they will eventually reinstate the
check but WHY ? WHY screw around with
messing with them...really why? You
know this is a government
organization, you are costing the post
office 2 times the cost of an
employee, one, they are paying OWCP
for YOU, and 2 they are paying someone
else to do your job.....SO...does that
answer your question... they will do
anything to get you off the rolls. The
best thing you did was to apply for
disability retirement...just do what
they ask until you are approved. This
is my advice, I am a straight shooter,
I see it from all the perspectives. It
does not mean I agree, it means I know
what they are going to do and why.
Roseanne
Till we speak
again.......Roseanne |
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