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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@icloud.com. |
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Postal Retirement
Q&A February 2014 |
Good Day Postal Employees - I would like to
thank each and every one of you out there who have
contacted me or have simply just prayed or sent
healing wishes to for my daughter, Hope. Churches
all over the country, in a host of the so many
different denominations have prayer chains, or her
name on the church's prayer scroll, we thank you.
And a sincere and humble thanks for the many
"silent plea's" that are whispered in prayer for
her to be rid of this cancer. Although not out of
the woods, we have been able to say that�..Hope is
in remission right now. She has been able to, for
the first time in 11 months, not be actively
receiving chemotherapy; radiation treatments, or
the combination of both. Words cannot express how
grateful and amazed I am, at the outpouring of
prayer and concern. I thank you all from the
bottom of my heart, as does our entire family.
There is an expression that my mother used for
years�and it took me years to understand the
gravity of it, she would say�."There - but for the
grace of God, go I". It's to gently remind you
that nothing in life can be or should be taken for
granted, and what happens to your fellow man, or
family member or co-worker�.by God's infinite
grace�that is not you..because it could be�.and
that is what the statement meant.
Yesterday...February 1, 2014 the day began without
many postmasters, that were employed the day
before. Those retiring effective January 31, 2014
a SINCERE Congratulations to you all. Anyone that
can "make it" through 20, 25 & 30+ POSTAL YEARS�a
tip of the hat is to you, and to all those
employees that retired in 2013.
And what
is wrong with making the damn stamp 50 cents
really!!! �.We are already going up 3 cents, what
the hell is another penny! I think the public is
more pissed about the 49 cents than would be if
you just make the stamp with an even figure (for a
change). What�so in two years up by another 2
cents�.truly stupid, at least from the public's
eye, and ah�.that is who buys our products PMG!!
the public, who really LIKE even figures...
damn!!!
Can we all not agree that there is
a deep correlation between postal years and
"canine" years, what !?? it's like 1 to 6 or 7 !!
You can work there 20 years and feel like it has
been every bit of 40 years, or more�.actually�.we
sometimes say�"I have been here my whole
lifetime". We as postal employees must cram SO
MUCH into a year with all the changes that take
place in the post office,( or the FEW that are
site/office specific)on a monthly or sometimes a
weekly basis�.every�.single�.year! OH, you know
the drill (local Mgmt.) will say to employees�."I
don't care what they say
(union/district/area)�.this office will be doing
it this way", so that by the time December rolls
around, it feels like it's been 4 or 5 years of
changes, new position titles, new supervisors�new
rules�.old rules not enforced�& new employees that
have such a remarkable difference in how they are
paid, what type of leave (if any) they earn, or
even if they "really are a career employee"; or a
maybe "management employee", issues that almost
defy logic !! As I said we know the drill, we know
what that they do!! So now that with this group of
postmasters that have left, let's see what
"changes" are in store for our organization.
Because�.YOU can't keep reducing your staffing,
withOUT a reduction of the work THAT IS CLEARLY
STILL THERE�or there would not BE THE OMG�OVER THE
TOP�..OVERTIME, and Penalty time, I have seen on
pay stubs�.all over the country. This is not
isolated to one district or state, it's nation
wide. There HAS TO BE a restructure of EPIC
proportions for this organization to survive. So I
am saying this to all�.the organization�.it cannot
keep this pace�something has to change, and with
this recent round of early out PM's gone�..as they
say, let the games begin��..
I have been
plagued this month with so many emails requesting
"insider information" which by the way I DO NOT
HAVE�wanting to know if I think there is going to
be an early out. Many write with this scenario age
61 and have 32 years of service, and are looking
for an early out. Because you Mr/Ms Age 61 with 32
years of service�.really are NOT LOOKING FOR an
early out�.what you REALLY ARE LOOKING FOR IS AN
"incentive". So be clear when you are asking me
these questions�there is a difference between JUST
an early out, AND an INCENTIVE (another word for
$$) in conjunction with an early out�.I am saying
AGAIN��.I don't see it�..the incentive, I just
don't. However more early outs�.yes, those I see
in the future.
Q 1. Hi Roseanne, Hope your
New Year has started well, and we are all praying
for your daughter. I just wanted to thank you for
your advice and helping me to decide to �take the
plunge�, and retire from the Postal Service,
effective 1-3-14. It was indeed scary to think of
retiring from the Postal Service after having been
a �walking� letter carrier for nearly 37 years
(the last 20 years on the same route). I won�t get
into the details of how the job of carrying mail
has sadly deteriorated is so very many ways, but I
have been thinking all day about how with pressure
from �above�, managers have added so much time to
most of the routes that it is becoming nearly
impossible to get the routes done in 8 hours. Now
with the explosion of the on-line parcel ordering,
many of the routes find themselves having to
deliver well past 5:00 (and some days to 7:00 or
later). The next day you have to �argue and
fight�, with the carrier foreman to attempt to
justify your actions of the previous day (as they
wave the all mighty �print-out� in your face). I
do believe that if they had not decided to cave to
the idiocy of doing away with 3 or 4 routes at
every station, then most carriers would be getting
back way before 5:00, and a lot of the many
millions that the USPS has paid out for grievance
settlements, and double-time, could have been
avoided. Used to be the carriers that wanted
overtime could work it when they wanted to,
instead of being forced to carry 2 and 3 hours
every single day. I also believe that even though
hiring and staffing a few more clerks at every
station may result in a larger initial payroll, in
the long run, it would actually save them money.
Cutting and slashing personnel, and adding time to
all of the routes has been a disaster as far as
I�m concerned. I know things change constantly,
but I think the PO is shooting themselves in the
foot by doing what they are doing.
I�ll get nostalgic for a minute, in the �old
days�, we had time to talk to our patrons, I went
out of my way to check on people, buy some of the
older people, or businesses stamps when they
needed them, and even had time to take a lunch and
the two 10 minute breaks that we are entitled to.
We came in at 6:00 A.M., the mail and parcels were
there ready to work. We got off at 2:30; or 3:00
if you came in at 6:30 A.M. For the very first
time since I have been in the Postal Service, we
did not have a Christmas breakfast at my station
this year. Everyone (not just the carriers), are
rushed, in bad moods, worn out and frustrated. We
used to have bowling leagues, softball summer
leagues, basketball leagues, occasional breakfast
celebrations (and were given time to eat and
socialize). Now, at least in our city, that is all
gone; how can you plan to bowl, play softball, or
basketball when you never know if you are getting
off at 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 or later, and are so
exhausted it is all you can do to teeter home,
have dinner and go to bed. I used to love going to
work. I absolutely loved working outside, talking
to all of my customers, cutting up with all of the
guys in the morning. It was a dream job for many,
many years. Now, it seems to be a disastrous mess,
not occasionally, but every single stinking day.
The saddling of the carriers with the GPS enabled
cell phones, was the proverbial �straw that broke
the camel�s back�; for me anyway. Some of the guys
viewed things differently, they were able to take
it all and not let it bother them. I guess that
was one of the reasons that I needed to leave, I
just couldn�t stand seeing what the job had
become. If you find no joy from your job at all,
and all you have to look forward to is the
paycheck and an ass chewing, it�s time to leave. I
was also physically falling apart. For 30 years I
had no injuries at all; then in the last 5 years
or so I had rotator cuff surgery, back surgery, a
torn meniscus, that lead to a knee replacement,
carpal tunnel, and bouts with cancer.
It has been about two weeks, and by all of the
stories are true, who knows when I will get my
annual leave payout (440 hrs.), or my first
retirement check (they screwed my pay all up on
the last pay period of the year (26), and I got a
letter saying that if any pay adjustments were
due, it would delay the payout!). I have put my
mom on alert that I may need to borrow some money
to make our house payment; sad, but true. Anyway,
I have already applied, and gotten a job with the
local school system (I start next week). I could
have been a substitute teacher, but instead I
chose to be an �educational assistant�, making a
whopping $9.00 an hour! If I don�t enjoy the work,
I know that I really don�t have to do it (that�s a
good feeling). I maxed out around August 1st, as
far as what I would draw under CSRS (42 years of
total service). Anyway Roseanne, thank you for
letting me vent, and thank you for what you do. I
know you hear the same stories from everyone all
over the country. I know things will never be the
same, but I feel really sorry for those that will
follow because they will never know how it used to
be.
A. 1 Hi- You letter is such a true
heart felt assessment of life of a carrier at the
PO in this day and age. I have many letters that I
can use with very similar information, however
yours is written with such true insight, that I
would like to sanitize your letter with just
enough to ensure, anonymity, and use this in my
column for February. Please let me know if this is
OK with you. Roseanne
R.1 Hi Roseanne!! You
can absolutely use anything you want to use,
anytime and always. I owe you my sanity. Thanks
Q 2. Can you tell me were I can find out who
my beneficiary's are I am planning on applying for
my retirement next month and would like to know if
there is a place to look at the retirement book so
I can prepare questions for my phone call, Thank
You PG
A 2. Hi PG, I think I may have
answered this on my cell phone, but if not, you
need to sign on to postal ease (lite blue). The
same system that you typically use for bidding (in
larger offices), and that you can review
information relative to HR as it relates
specifically to you. Once you log on to the
liteblue / postal ease, then go to MyHR, after
that go to eOPF, you will have to put in your EIN
and PIN again. Once you get into your eOPF, then
you can narrow your search by selecting certain
criteria such as Beneficiary forms and go through
the entire OPF if you have to. If there is a
concern about who is a beneficiary and you want a
certain person to BE the beneficiary�.instead of
going through this entire process�..you CAN simply
call 1-877-477-3273 and request a "beneficiary
packet" and you will receive all new blank
beneficiary forms and you can change what you
have, or perhaps fill beneficiary forms that you
may NOT EVEN HAVE DONE before. I will let you
decide how you feel about your on-the-phone
retirement counseling session with HRSSC, with or
without prepared questions. After you do that,
just let me know how it went. Roseanne
Q 3.
I work for the USPS, we were wondering how does
LWOP effects your retirement status? Do you have
to pay anything back or does this decrease your
years of service? And are there any publications
or websites to help us in retirement issues. Many
people have fled the p.o. since the last early out
phase and we want to know all of our options and
guidelines that we must follow before we take the
next offer. Things are getting pretty desperate in
our district. They have hired a lot of PSE clerks
to fulfill our positions and there is no where to
run. Sincerely, JK
A 3. Hi JK, I have
provided a 2 examples for you:
Example 1: LWOP
(leave without pay) RTD (return to duty)
�
LWOP:
1/1/70
RTD: 7/1/70
= 6 months
LWOP in 1970
= full Credit in 1970
Example 2:
LWOP: 1/1/92
RTD:
8/1/92
= 7 months LWOP 1 month excess
LWOP
= 6 months creditable LWOP
+
5 months service
= 11 months credit 1992
And so that is how it works. As for
publications�.I would go to opm.gov, it is a
WONDERFUL and easy site to navigate and brings
many things to light that you would not get from
the Post Office (and truly not their area of
expertise) Your district, like so many others have
massive numbers of these PSE's and well, new
management employees now, and with the flat out
lack of true postal knowledge, quite frankly it
makes the entire postal system look like rookies
anymore. But check into the opm.gov site. Roseanne
Q 4. Thank you for all your information you
put out every month. Its very much appreciated. I
am a 56 yr old city carrier with 27 years of
service under FERS. I have funded my thrift
savings to the maximum contribution over my
career. I also have no debt and a substantial
amount of personal savings. My question is am I
crazy to retire this year vs. full retirement at
30? I realize I would receive no special
supplement and would take a penalty on my annuity.
My husbands employer will pay us the difference of
what I pay for health ins. now and what it will go
up to if I take retirement.
I need
your advice on all aspects of considering this
huge life changing decision. Thank you so much for
all your help, L
A 4. Hi L, I cannot think
of any employer that would offer such a thing as
pay the difference in what "I pay for health ins.
now and what it will go up to if I take
retirement"�.at least in the long term, I mean how
would they KNOW how much they are say "signing up
for" to pay, and too you MUST CONSIDER in this
payment arrangement with this non-federal
employer, the fact that your health insurance is
not costing what YOU PAY per pay period, or months
as an annuitant�you MUST factor in how much the
post office pays in behalf of your health
benefits. Just for an example�.a Blue Cross Blue
Shield employee who has 105 as their HB code, pays
about $433 per month in retirement�..BUT the PO
pay $948 per month supplementing your health
insurance�by two thirds. So in essence the
non-federal employer is NOT signing up to pay $433
per month for you�.its more like $1382 per month.
Not knowing who you husband's employer is
(and signing up for nearly $1400 per month, again
I don't see an employer agreeing to that. I think
it's crucial to stay another 3 years to get full
retirement. The Special Supplement you are so
willing to "throw away" is at 30 years close to
$1000 per month, and that is paid until you turn
62. I personally would not retire, however, there
is nothing from stopping you down the road taking
the MRA+10 retirement. But, in my opinion it's
such a sucker move. I would wait or at least hope
for an early out that would cover carriers or all
employees. I think that retiring now, under the
MRA+10 would be a true disvalue of your
retirement. Just my opinion, and you did ask�.
Roseanne
Q 5. Hello, there. One simple
question for you. I will be retiring and taking an
immediate retirement after 34 years in May, 2014.
Do I need to apply for FERS special retirement
supplement through OPM separately or does it comes
automatically along with FERS basic retirement
annuity? Thanks D,
A 5. Hi D,
Congratulations!!! Retirement is FREEDOM!! As far
as your "Special Supplement", there is nothing
that YOU specifically need to do. Understand
though, that the Special Supplement does takes
longer to process (because everyone who retires
under FERS is NOT entitled to a Special Supplement
at the EXACT time they retire). But typically, if
retiring (fully) about the time you begin to see
your second or third check from OPM, you will find
a LARGE deposit made into your account�.and that
is the back pay of the Special Supplement. After
that, you will be receiving it monthly until age
61 and 11 months. BUT NO�.you don't do anything to
initiate the Special Supplement, nor does HRSSC.
Until we speak again�����Roseanne�and to my
followers in the NY State area, Binghamton, Long
Island, Brooklyn (holla home town)�..the
"retirement lady" says HI!
PS any
typo's�.well I still have this lingering...flu�. |
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