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Postal
Retirement Information |
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Postal
Retirement October 2011
Good
Day Postal Employees!
I have had a very busy month with answering all your questions, and
have chosen two that had multiple questions on the same subject.
Many times as shown below, I will do research on my answers that I
provide to the readers of postalmag. I try to give the most up to
date information I have and don't take for granted that things have
not changed since I have left the post office. Below I have included
information from the OPM web site regarding health benefit open
season.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has
announced that this year�s open season for health benefits, dental
and vision insurance, and flexible spending accounts will be held
from November 14 through December 12, 2011. The annual open season
gives federal employees and retirees the opportunity to review their
health plan choices and make changes; it also allows eligible
employees to enroll for coverage.
Question 1 - Hi Roseanne, I
corresponded with you earlier in the year, as I was contemplating
retiring sometime in 2011, due to me needing to relocate. After all
information was gathered and analyzed, and due to the problems with
OPM in processing of retirement data and Annuity Checks on a timely
basis, I have been forced to postpone my retirement until 2012.
During 2011 I accumulated as much sick time and vacation time in
anticipation of my retirement by 12-31-2011. I was informed by
Shared Services that all sick leave would be calculated in with my
final annuity amount and I would lose none. You corrected that issue
and I was aware that they pay in whole months and additional days I
could use or I would lose.
I was told by Shared Services all
unused Annual Leave would be paid out to me in a lump some about (2)
weeks after my retirement. Since I was planning to retire by
12-31-2011 the carry over of additional hours after max of 440 hours
never arose. Once it became a possibility that I may have to
postpone retirement and that I would have more than 440 hours of
Annual leave on books at 12-31-2011, I contacted Shared Services and
they stated that as long as I cashed out additional hours during
Annual Leave Open Season Buy Back I would lose none. They stated
this took place in November. Today I contacted Shared Services and
again asked the same question and told them I have 505 on books and
wanted to buy back at least 65 of these hours, and they stated I
could do this but only between 11-15-11 and 12-15-11. They stated a
form would be coming in the mail. I asked the questions twice and
she stated she was looking at my record, I was eligible and she was
100% certain If I filed the correct form and on a timely basis I
would get these accumulated hours and not lose them, she assured me
I would. As this is a lot of money hanging in the air I really
wanted to get your expert answer and knowledge. All this retirement
misinformation and delays of information and monies has been so very
stressful and frankly a bunch of crap. After 30+ years why is it so
hard to get a truthful and factual answer out of the USPS? And why
is it so hard to get all monies I have worked so hard for in a
timely and efficient manner? I follow your column religiously and we
are so lucky to have you out there giving us true factual
information. I bet you thank your lucky stars you got out when you
did. Sincerely Mr. S
Response 1. - Your earned annual leave
will paid "precisely" two weeks after your last paycheck. This
paycheck will be a paper check (not direct deposited). Your annual
leave is paid with the last paycheck, should you have any work hours
and with that last pay check is all EARNED annual leave. Depending
on if you are craft or EAS, has different answers. Understand this,
when you "cash out" as you say, or "selling back your annual leave"
or whatever way you say it, yes you can do that....however, you are
NOT cashing out the leave for this year, but selling the leave for
the coming year...and if you retire, there is no leave for the
coming year. That answer above, is why I had not written you back
yet. Because I always doubt myself when I hear something so WRONG,
that I need to check to see if they have changed the rules on
selling your annual leave...I am still checking on that....so give
me a little more time. I am so sure I am right, but I have a phone
call into a contact in timekeeping to make sure my answer is
correct. As far as the form, yes there is a form that you need to
fill out..but again...I am waiting on an answer from a finance
person. I don't normally take this long to respond, and typically,
if I find your question(s) need further information from you, I
would ask for your phone number so I could discuss personally. But
in this case, I know that many times people are 100% certain, and
are 100% certainly wrong. I will assume you are craft person, since
you're over the 440 hours. And on top of my reason for thinking they
are 100% wrong is the time frame. 11-15 thru 12-15...did they say
when you GET the annual leave pay that you are selling? Because if
it's in January, and you retire Dec 31st, you are not an employee
anymore. Again, I am just talking myself through this because I
think the information is not quite accurate, again, unless something
has changed...I will get back with you as soon as I am able to get
an answer I am comfortable with....I ain't just yet..and I am too
old and too knowledgeable to KNOW that I don't know everything all
the time, and things change.
Revised Response 1. - There are
several "conditions" to buying back your leave, 1. you must have
PRECISELY (as a craft employee) 440, and not fraction over or a
fraction under; 2. if you have used sick leave in current year,
there is a limitation to how much sick leave you use during the
year, which could make you ineligible to buy back (or sell) annual
leave 3. Since you are retiring, you cannot buy back leave for the
next year, because that is what in fact you are doing, you are
buying leave from the NEW leave year. This can be verified with any
of your timekeeping (TAC's) office in your district. Bottom line the
information you received from HRSSC relative to buying back your
leave was incorrect. Finally if you were NOT to retire and still
bought back leave, you are only allowed to buy 40 hours and that is
paid to you in sometime in February.
Question 2. - I worked
for the FBI from June 1974 thru June 1975. I then have worked at the
po from Feb 1981 to present. Is it necessary for me to buy back my
FBI time. I'm not planning on seeking employment after my retirement
(which may be sooner than I thought�depending what happens with the
po). I'm also civil service. Would you have any idea about how much
I would owe in buying back that time. When I resigned from the FBI,
I was making $6989 a year. Wow�and I still had enough money for
happy hour! I've been trying to work with HR since February on this.
They told me it would take about 1 year to get this resolved. Just
called them again today�they said they would try to get the
paperwork sent out to me. Thank you for your time and I really
appreciate your columns on postal mag.
Response 2. - Hi, I
will assume that you took a refund of your CSRS money from OPM for
the time frame of 6/74 thru 6/75. Additionally, it depends on when
you worked for the FBI if you were a "career" employee or not. You
need to look at your form 50's from the FBI to see what they say,
with respect to being a career employee or not. The Post office
should have requested your OPF from the FBI, therefore your form
50's should be in your eOPF NOW!. Go into liteblue and look at your
eOPF, to see if it's in there. If not, this may be why they (HRSSC)
tells you it will take a year..which I think is ridiculous anyway.
Do a little research on your own (in your eOPF). Roseanne
Question 2 a. - Roseanne, I emailed you yesterday regarding my 1
year FBI service. I took your advice and looked at my form 50's and
it appears that my FBI time was non career time. I looked at my pay
stub and I did not pay into civil service. The FBI did not let you
join civil service until you worked for them for 3 years. So, I hope
this information will help to answer my questions from yesterday. I
sure do appreciate the time and dedication you exhibit in trying to
help out the pathetic, poor informed postal workers...like myself. I
sure miss the good ole days when the post office had a personnel
office and you could talk to somebody in person. Oh well....times
change. Thank you so much Roseanne!
Question 2 b.-
Roseanne... I'm somewhat confused...hard to believe from a postal
worker! lol But, HR is giving me credit for that FBI year in my
retirement annuity...even though I did not pay into cs. So at
present, they are giving me credit for 31 years of service
(according to my paperwork) even though I have worked for the post
office for 30 years. So I don't have to buy back my FBI year to get
credit for the 31 years?
Response 2 a/b. - Tell me on your
old form 50's from the FBI, in the section that says retirement, is
a code 1 there? When working for the govt back in the 70's some of
the time was creditable for retirement purposes. Buying it back may
not be necessary, or possible. The best way to tell is to request an
annuity estimate and an RTR report from HRSSC. When you get that
then perhaps we can figure this out together. When working for the
PO I was able to review things like that. I try not to assume too
much without knowing all the information. Without all the
information I would be uncomfortable giving you guidance, because I
may not have all the details for a correct answer. Roseanne
Question 2 c. - Roseanne, I do have an annuity estimate as well as
the RTR report. The RTR report was dated 7/7/10 and my annuity
estimates have been in the last month. What should I be looking for?
Thanks again for your attention....it is about ready to drive me to
daily drinking!!ha
Response 2 c. - On the annuity estimate
look at the RCD/ACD are they the same? (RCD "Retirement Computation
Date"; ACD "Annuity Computation Date") Is your EOD and your your RCD
and ACD the same? The RTR report, if its the RTR Retirement Plan
Correction Report (This is the name of the report, not that it is a
correction...don't cha just love it), should show FBI start date,
end date, Reported retirement code; calculated retirement code.. on
that one if the FBI shows CSRS, then the time IS creditable and can
be used for retirement calculations. Understand one thing, that 1
year can be very costly, (with the interest) that it may not be a
financial gain to buy it back. If you have the "National Retirement
Counseling System, Prior Service Report, that should show how the
FBI time is calculated. Sometimes federal years are calculated for
RCD "service credible for retirement eligibility" (that should have
been sent with the annuity estimate) and ACD "service creditable for
annuity computation...they are not always the same, this is where
you may find the answers to your questions. That FBI time is no
doubt creditable for service for retirement eligibility (RCD)
(years) but not for ACD annuity computation, money. That should give
you a place to begin at. Roseanne
Question 2 d. - Roseanne...
How do you keep all this straight!? On the annuity estimate, the
RCD/ACD are the same...and what in the devil is EOD? On the RTR for
FBI, the Derived Retirement Code is FICA as well as Retirement Plan.
Is this good news or bad news? After all of this...I might just go
out on Disability Retirement...mental stress! lol
Final
Response : First if the RCD and ACD are the same as your seniority
date for bidding purposes, (and if you did not change crafts) then I
would say you don't have to buy it back and I am really not sure if
you can. EOD is enter on duty..sometimes if no military or no other
federal service it will typically be your seniority date for
bidding. If the FBI times shows FICA, then it was NOT covered under
the CSRS retirement plan. Now the rubber meets the road, can you buy
back this one year? Because it was in the early 70's it may be. I
would call 1-888-767-6738 (OPM) and just ask them. I am so in the
middle on this answer, I am leaning towards no you cannot, but
because I know rural carriers can buy back/FICA time performed
during the 70's I am not sure. Give OPM a call for a direct answer.
Roseanne
Till we speak again.....Roseanne |
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