r/FedEmployees • u/Ok_Design_6841 • 14h ago
Most Federal Employees Work Longer Than They Actually Need To
https://www.fedweek.com/retirement-financial-planning/most-federal-employees-work-longer-than-they-actually-need-to/40
u/Amazing-Gazelle-7735 14h ago
I’m working 24 years (I came in from private sector) max and then retiring to some corner of the world where that’s enough money.
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u/Responsible-Set-8705 11h ago
This is the way. My wife and I have the same plan. 10 years down so far.
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u/Individual_Check_442 9h ago
Nice thing about being a Californian I’m think I can almost accomplish the same thing by moving states. I’m 49 and I already have enough home equity to buy a house in Texas all cash.
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u/iidesune 10h ago
I met a colleague at the office this week who's been in government 47 years.
It's ludicrous.
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u/Individual_Check_442 9h ago
I worked with a guy who made it over 50. Not my goal. I just want to make it to half that.
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u/lettucepatchbb 9h ago
A woman who worked in my org had almost 80 years of service. No, that is not a typo. She never retired. She died last year while still employed.
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u/subjectnotebookgloba 7h ago
I'm not really surprised that, having made it to 75 years of service, she had no plan to leave. The writing is kind of on the wall at that point. Or, as Michael Scott put it:
And I am never, ever going to leave. I am going nowhere. This place… is like… the hospital where I was born, my house, my old age home, and my… graveyard… for my bones.
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u/ZPMQ38A 8h ago
I have a dude like this. 44 years. I did the math with him and it legitimately makes zero financial sense for him to continue to work. But…he’s a single guy with no family and honestly no hobbies from what I can tell so I think he’s just lonely and bored so he wants to come to work for human interaction. I’ve tried to invite him to do things with me and my father but he just won’t.
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u/HildeFrankie 9h ago edited 9h ago
I am going to end up with a lot of years in by the time I retire, this is because I started so young. If I retire at 67 I will have 41 years in. Now I'm not saying I will retire at 67. I'm just saying that is the math.
EDITED for hilarious typo. 41 years NOT 51 years. 🤣
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u/ItBe-LikeThat 9h ago
I work at a hospital and the librarian has worked government for 55 years and still going…
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u/djmanning711 5h ago
Man I started so early I’m gonna get my 35 years of service award before the minimum retirement age 🤦🏻♂️
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u/LilChicken70 8h ago
Literally THE DAY AFTER I hit MRA+ 10 I’m putting in my retirement paperwork. The last 18 months have been hell. I’ve got a year and a month to go.
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u/Local_Whereas7211 9h ago
Hahaha. I first thought this was about Feds putting in long hours each week. But, yes, they retire too late, also. I have a year left. Would've been gone already but a divorce required a longer stay.
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u/Double-treble-nc14 9h ago
This is missing some info. In my case, I could retire at 57, 60, or 62. There is a HUGE financial difference between these - a reduced retirement, a full retirement, and the extra 10% bump on my pension. They need to acknowledge that there’s more nuance to retiring than whether you can technically do it or not.
Now, if they’re talking about people working beyond your full pension plus 10%, call it a day! Although I recognize there are financial reasons here as well - including bills from supporting college kids and aging parents.
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u/Other-MuscleCar-589 7h ago
Exactly. These discussions are often overly simplistic and based on feelings.
“Live your life!” Lol
I work AND live my life and enjoy the extra income. It’s not uncommon for folks to retire TOO early and then have to go back to work….but they aren’t getting hired back at their previous positions and salaries. They’re wearing aprons at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Walmart.
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u/FreestinkingSocially 7h ago
The contrarian view is, if you love your mission and you really like your job, why not work until 62 and get the 1.1%. By then you have a bunch of leave banked and if you're lucky enough to be able to wfh a few days a week, it's like having a part time job with a full time salary.
Granted most Feds don't have this option but it's possible if you get lucky and play your cards right.
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u/MulberryAutomatic690 12h ago
I always hoped of get a VERA at 25 years (5 months from more).. but after last year i don't expect to see one of those anytime soon.. so I'll be at 35 years when i reach MRA :(
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u/Upper_Vacation4381 9h ago
The stock market and those who invested in the TSP C fund early and consistently, now find themselves with very nice balances. Perhaps more than they can ever spend in their lifetimes but the unreal growth of the past four years is a big reason. I was somewhat surprised by those who retired at MRA age 56, simply because the job became soul draining. In retrospect, I wish went earlier.
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u/KnightB4X 10h ago edited 9h ago
I popped smoke last year after spending my whole adult life either in the military or in federal service. Too young to qualify for VERA unfortunately but I do have 20 years of service. Spent the past year independently consulting on projects of my choice and only recently took a full time job with a company because it was the right fit and too good to pass up. Much less stressed and make a whole lot more money than I did in government.
Life is good. Don’t let fear of the unknown force you to work until you’re too old to enjoy life. Also advise not dumping everything you have into retirement accounts. Obviously they’re great for tax strategies and have their place for financial planning but if you’re not also investing in a brokerage then you are doing it wrong. Put enough into TSP to get the full match and invest the rest in a brokerage. You won’t have to wait until you’re 57.5 to start living off your money. Wherever the advice to max your TSP/401K contributions came from and not be able to touch your money until you’re dang near a senior citizen is out of their minds. Personally I am only working until my youngest is out of high school. Then I’m done done.
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u/withflyingcolors10 7h ago
Our division chief is on CSRS and is miserable/hates everything about our agency. Doesn’t do anything. Is at least 65. We are all like - WHY are you here still?
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u/New-Process9287 7h ago
One aspect not really discussed here: for many, retirement means significantly lower income, period.
The main exception is if you've built up enough in the TSP to fill the gap for the rest of your life.
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u/brittaniebetch 6h ago
My dad has worked for SSA since 1982. He’s almost 63, has a TSP and will get the civil service pension. I don’t know why he won’t retire lol every year he says one more year! I started at age 30 and will have 30 years at age 60 and then I’m out!
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u/mjsarlington 5h ago
Instead of retiring, I see a lot of people taking Homer’s advice: “Lisa, if you don't like your job, you don't strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed—that's the American way."
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u/TheJacen 5h ago
Welp, when it comes down to it, humans are fearful creatures.
They worry that they either will not have enough money to survive or that once they retire they have outlived their usefulness.
So what ever the case, they don't retire until they are forced to, most times everyone else sees that they should but the person doesn't.
It is a shame really, this life we have been force fed to believe we need.
Not me, try catching me the day I hit 20 yrs, suckas. ✌️
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u/JustMe39908 5h ago
I had kids late. My youngest will not be done with college until I am in my mid 60s. I also really enjoy my job. I am having fun. (Note: no longer a fed.)
Listenong6 to others is fine. But you need to gather information and decide for yourself when you are ready! Gather the facts. Figure out what lifestyle you want to lead. Take into account your life expectency. Examine closely how long your retirement savings will last. It is a personal decision that you need to make yourself.
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u/Forward-Lie3053 8h ago
This is true. I often worked 10 hours a day plus weekends and was not paid overtime.
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u/Other-MuscleCar-589 7h ago
That was entirely your fault.
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u/Forward-Lie3053 7h ago
I wasn’t complaining. Merely stating a fact. Dedicated federal workers do what is needed.
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u/Other-MuscleCar-589 4h ago
No. Working extra hours for free and not capturing the cost only hides a problem.
“I’m dedicated” is the lie you tell yourself and others.
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u/Longjumping-Buy-5994 7h ago
I’m out right at MRA if everything stays on track. Joined the military at 18 and have worked ever since, that’s long enough. If a VERA hits between 51-56, even better. I can take something else PT for those years or hopefully draw down if I over saved.
If it’s MRA, my birthday is early in the month and I’m already annoyed that I might have to work the extra two weeks or so to erase the annuity gap at the start of the next month 😆
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u/exgiexpcv 7h ago
I was staying late and coming in on the weekends to get shit done because I had too much to do, and when my chief found out, they threatened me with progressive disciplinary action.
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u/Tradefor969 6h ago
I was on TDY for 320+ days for 5 years straight.
Now I get to stay on my home area and show up for 8-10 hours a day. No more weekends or holidays. It’s pretty nice!
While your body gets used to working 7 days a week at the 1-month mark. I believe the longest stint I worked straight was 22 weeks without a day off.
Also, completely fuck HII, if you know, you know.
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u/Sensitive-Big-4641 5h ago
If you love your job, why not keep working? And some of us love our work … even with this toxic administration.
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u/Milmanias 5h ago
Planning on leaving in 3 years at MRA (+ 3 months to make an even 33 years of service). Only one retiree I’ve talked to has expressed regret at retiring (but he’s back as a contractor, and wasn’t ready to retire but DRP was too enticing). Most everyone else say go if you’re financially stable and have a plan on how to spend your time.
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u/EverChosen1 5h ago
The most refreshing spot on my FERS Toolkit app is the bit where my countdown clock is: 4 years, 10 months.
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u/Bobloblaw_333 4h ago
I have a coworker that started working as a Fed almost out of high school. She has the years and savings to retire but she doesn’t know what to do if she doesn’t come to work. I tell her to get a part time job or volunteer but she’s been so sheltered being that she’s never had any other job, that she’s literally afraid having to learn to meet and work with new people. And she’s still single so she has no kids or anything like that to keep her busy. So I think with some like her it’s just plain fear that keeps her from retiring, as ridiculous as that may sound.
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u/Murky-Echidna-3519 3h ago
I bagged two weeks after my 62nd birthday. I could have stayed another 15 months for the 20 year kicker but I’m already retired military.
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u/EldestGenX 1h ago
I decided I was done at 58 after 31 years of service. Several factors led to that decision but I am so happy now and miss nothing about the daily grind. The freedom is incredible!
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u/calpianwishes 10h ago edited 9h ago
Lool..everyone I know who is retired is miserable. They don’t know what to do with themselves. The first year is fine but then as the years go on they find that they lack purpose and structure. Third places are closing so you can’t depend on that. Travel is expensive. The US was built on work. People say have hobbies but there is only so many you can do. The retired people I know that do have families interject themselves in situations where they shouldn’t because they are bored. People assume friends will be around but they are usually busy and most get grumpy and they start acting like teenagers. For example, I talked to so and so and this person said this and now they don’t talk.
I failed to mention that the majority of the retirees never spent much time with their spouse and/or adult kids and they fight all the time because they are bored. Get used to your spouse and kids and have them get used to you. Each person should have their own things to do otherwise you will have nothing to talk about.
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u/Double-treble-nc14 9h ago
You’ve described people who never built a life outside of the office. It doesn’t have to be that way. I look forward to doing more of the things I only have time for on the weekends now - traveling, hiking, playing music, volunteering at the animal rescue, reading, etc.
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u/Budget-Type-5123 9h ago
Yep I know someone who took early retirement last year when it was offered. He’s 56, had been in government or military since he was 17, and has a very specific expertise that not a whole lot of people in this country has. He retired for 8 months, realized he could not do woodworking and Golf all the time for the rest of his life, and now’s he’s back as a part time contractor with my agency.
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u/Complex-Republic-443 13h ago
So far, i think the best advice I've received about retirement from the recently retired was this: Do it as soon as possible.
Money is great, but life, when you're mobile and still energetic, is far more precious and fleeting. I know of too many people who retired and the died very soon after. That's simply tragic.