CAN A RETIREE REJOIN THE WORKFORCE IN PHASED RETIREMENT

The answer is no.  If a Federal worker has retired and decides to rejoin the Federal service, that individual can do so as a reemployed annuitant.  The Phased Retirement program is geared towards individuals eligible to retire having met all of the age and service related requirements but have not yet left the service.  Individuals who have fully retired receive an annuity check based on their years of service and age with those provisions unique to either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).

When an individual who is retired and now classified as an annuitant returns to work the classification becomes a reemployed annuitant.  There are certain rules that apply to the new status.  Under normal circumstances the salary received by the reemployed annuitant will be offset by the annuity.  The worker will not receive both a full time paycheck and a full annuity during the period of reemployment.  When the reemployment period ends and adjustments have been made, the reemployed annuitant who has reclaimed his or her previous annuitant status will receive their full annuity.

There are provisions by which the hiring agency can ask OPM for a waiver of this requirement.  I have not seen a case where the waiver for this purpose has been granted.  Returning a retired Federal employee to service should not create an additional, costly expense to the Federal government.  There should be a fair compensation for the employee, but not something that resembles double-dipping.  The off-set I believe is appropriate.

There are currently two ways in which persons who are retired or contemplating retirement can be a part of the Federal service – Phased Retirement or Reemployment Annuitant status.

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

Dianna Tafazoli