|
|
 |
|
|
 |
| Share |
 |
 |
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. |
|
|
|
|
Postal Retirement
Q&A March 2012 |
Good Day Postal Employees: Yea, I have
been reading ALL about it!! I have
deep concern for FERS employees, (who
have a 3 tiered retirement program)
and the potential of losing the
Special Supplement paid by OPM to the
FERS retiree, supplementing the Social
Security component until age 62, when
they are first able to collect Social
Security.
When you take a good
look at the FERS retirement program,
it is based on the employee's MRA
(Minimum Retirement Age). Which by the
way is NOT THE SAME FOR EVERYONE. Your
MRA is dependent on the year you were
born!!
Even so, FERS was designed
to be a 3 tiered program, and all of
the tiers are NOT OF EQUAL WEIGHT.
Meaning that each component, (FERS,
Social Security and TSP) is not one
third each. Not even close!! If these
massive changes take place in the
retirement system, and the supplement
is discontinued, then it pretty much
forces ALL FEDERAL EMPLOYEES,(FERS) to
either live on 2 portions of their
retirement until age 62; or not retire
at all until age 62. In all the FERS
retirements that I have seen, so many
have very little, TOO LITTLE, in the
TSP fund to carve out a decent monthly
annuity that will last them for life.
If you are NO WHERE NEAR retirement,
you need to review how much you are
putting in TSP and ensure that you are
contributing at a level that requires
the Agency is matching those funds. I
also have concerns about changing from
the high 3 to a high 5. If you go back
to my column July 2011, you will see
how a high 3 versus a high 5 looks
like.
Oh... the prospect of an
early out....on hold! From what I am
reading, they are dragging this out
and right now, I still feel there will
be an early out...but I will still
hold on to what I have been
saying....I don't see BIG MONEY
flowing for you to leave.
Q. 1
- Hi Roseanne, I have been trying to
get an answer to my exempt status
since July 2009. No one will give me a
written answer with specific
references. In 2003 I took an EAS 16
Exempt Postmaster position in a first
class office. I supervised one rural
carrier and two PTF Clerks. The clerk
hours totaled over 40 hrs per week.
When my clerk retired (over 2 years
ago) and again recently, I was denied
a replacement for that position. This
has pretty much left me working most
Saturdays for at least 3-4 hours with
my remaining PTF clerk so that we can
get the mail to my rural carrier in
time for his scheduled departure time.
Also since that time, the relocation
of my largest mailer resulted in the
office being downgraded from first
class and F4 hours were reduced to
reflect the downgrade. I was told I am
still FLSA exempt as long as the
office level (16) stays the same. I
now only supervise one Rural Carrier
and One PTF clerk who gets around 30
hrs a week. My question has been: Are
these two employees (One rural carrier
and one PTF clerk) the equivalent of
two full time employees as needed to
remain exempt or should I now be
classified as a Non Exempt employee? I
have asked my MPOO, the District HR,
Area HR, and even emailed VP. I have
received a couple responses over the
last 32 months but mostly just get
shuffled around and put off. Can you
please enlighten me as to what
determines an Exempt from a non exempt
and where I can find the reference?
Thanks for any help you can give, G
A 1. - Hi G, You should call the
MPOO and ask for the SWCS for your
office for the last 5 years. The SWCS
is the Service Workload Credit. Every
2 years offices are supposed to go
through this process to see if they
should be upgraded or downgraded. In
either case, the numbers can dictate
if you go into the "Zone of
Tolerance", for an upgrade or
downgrade of the office. Now an office
can be upgraded or downgraded
immediately if the numbers put that
office over the numbers or under the
numbers for the next level. Are you
familiar with these terms? Another way
to do this, is to review reports or
ask to see the Form 150 for your
office. That is where these actions
take place. Once you see this form
then you might have all the
information you need to get some
answers. Roseanne
Q 1. (a) -
First thanks for your reply. This has
been ongoing for so long I have
trouble keeping on target and probably
give more info than needed, thus
clouding the question. What I am
trying to find out is whether or not I
should be classified as EXEMPT or NON
EXEMPT. My employee complement has
been decreased from one (Full Time)
Rural Carrier and two PTF Clerks
(splitting 40+ weekly hours) to
One(Full Time ) Rural Carrier and one
PTF Clerk (approx 30 hrs weekly). The
office downgrade from first class to
second is correct as revenue units are
down. Obviously not all level 16
postmasters are classified exempt as
my neighbor office is a level 16 and
is Non Exempt. Exempt & Non Exempt is
determined by the number of employees
one supervises (2 or more FTEE),
right? How does my PTF clerk qualify
as a Full time equivalent position?
Thanks, G.
A 1 (a) - Based on
the information I re-reviewed you
probably should be non-exempt, but my
answer is determined by what you have
told me. I did understand that when I
answered the question. The SWCS can
also determine many things in an
Associate Office, including an exempt
or non-exempt status for the
Postmaster. If you don't have 80+hours
between 2 or more employees then you
should be non exempt so you are able
to be paid OT. Lord knows you got to
be working 60-70 hrs a week yourself.
Have you spoken to NAPUS or someone
from the League of Postmasters? If you
have not, I would suggest that you do.
Not that they can change what is going
on, but it could be that a new SWCS
should be done on your office and your
NAPUS or League President may be able
to intercede on your behalf. Roseanne
Q 2. - I am 55 and retiring in
June. I am Civil Service. My question
is what should I do with my TSP.
Should I keep my money there or take
it out and put in an IRA. Do I pay any
penalties or taxes. Do I have a window
of opportunity to do this. Thanks.
A 2. - Hi T, You have a variety of
things that you can do with your TSP
money. This question has so many
options that you can take concerning
your TSP account. I would suggest that
you call 1-877-968-3778 (TSP Board)
and request the TSPBK 02 (they may
tell you to go to tsp.gov on line and
read it..) but in that booklet it will
show you all the options you have with
your TSP account. As far as taking it
out and putting it in an IRA or
another 401k (yes you can...you have a
certain time limit that you can roll
the money over, if you wait too long
you will be HEAVILY taxed). And yes
you pay taxes on the amount you take,
unless you roll it over. Remember,
that all of the money that has been
deducted from your paycheck going into
TSP was NOT TAXED. TSP has options
such as single life level annuity,
increasing annuities, and even monthly
payments, as well as partial
withdrawals. It all depends on IF you
need this to supplement your
retirement or its just a savings
account of sorts. Roseanne
Q 3.
- I will turn 55 in June 2013. I
worked as a civilian for the Navy from
1972-1976 and I resigned due to my
wife's health condition. Additionally,
I took all my retirement money out of
the CSRS system, to help with the high
medical expenses we incurred. In June
of 1984 I was hired by the Post Office
and was told I was listed as a
CSRS/Offset . My question is am I
eligible to retire in 2013 if I don't
have 30 years of contributing pension.
Thank you, P.
A 3. - Hi P, The
easiest way for you to determine if
your civilian Navy time is being
credited to your retirement (or not),
is to request an annuity estimate from
HRSSC. You should additionally request
the RTR Retirement Correction
Report...it's not about there being a
correction necessarily, that is just
the name of the report. You can see
from both pieces of information IF
your prior Navy is being calculated,
and what your retirement eligibility
date is, or when you can retire. Once
you determine if this time is credited
to you, you can contact HRSSC to see
if you are eligible to "buy the Navy
time back". Call HRSSC at
1-877-477-3273, I am sure they would
be very happy to assist you in this
process. Roseanne
Q 4. - Hi
Roseanne, I have written you twice in
the past and your answers were right
on the money. I didn't particularly
care for your answers, but I am
writing to tell you that you were
right, on every account. You probably
knew that when I wrote you back,
telling you that you were an asshole,
since I was very displeased with your
responses to me. Well, I took your
advise, I have cleaned up my act and I
am going to work everyday. I am on a
Last Chance Agreement, and I want to
thank you for your stern lecture, and
your expert advise. When I asked you
"if it's MY SICK LEAVE", why am I
being disciplined?" your response was
very harsh and I said some things I
want to apologize for. You saved my
job, just by your, as I called it
"your management bullshit advice". It
finally clicked, all I can say is I am
sorry and Thank You. An Avid Reader,
Yours Truly, ..L
A 4. - L,
Sometimes we all need a reality check.
I was just helping you reset your
gears, and I am proud of you. Your
sick leave is a benefit, don't nickel
and dime it, it is too valuable.
Roseanne
Till we speak
again......... Roseanne |
|
|
|
|
|
|
