Our office gets hundreds of calls every month from federal employees that have questions about their options for Federal Disability Retirement. Perhaps the hardest part about deciding to file for Disability Retirement benefits from the OPM is knowing when it is time to retire. We get calls from hundreds of federal employees every week and while many of them know that they can’t keep doing their job on a full duty basis, they have a very difficult time walking away. Often, it is very clear that the caller needs to file for disability benefits and move on to a new stage in life. Sometimes, their employment status or medical condition can make that decision unclear. Here, we are going to outline some of those general questions about when it’s time to move on.
When Your Health Hinders Your Federal Job
If you are currently working full duty, but you are struggling with a medical condition that is making it very hard to continue to perform all of your job’s requirements, it may be time. Most of the people we speak to genuinely love their jobs and want to continue. When they began working for the federal government, they had visions of working until they turned 62, or beyond. Stopping before they get there was never part of the equation. But no one anticipates that a medical condition will be a reason that they don’t make it. It happens.
Federal Disability Retirement is often the last resort. Most federal employees that we come into contact with love their jobs and had every intention to continue to work there until they reached their full retirement age. A disease of injury that has hijacked their career is not only a surprise, but also goes against everything that they had hoped for. Many try to stay in their current jobs too long and work against their doctors’ restrictions and recommendations. It is understandable because these people love what they do for a living. However, it can be damaging to their long term health and leave them in a worse financial position.
Whether a work related injury, disease, or some other condition, medical advice may be to stop working at your current position. If your medical providers are telling you to stop working in your current capacity, it may be prudent to listen to them. Continuing to “soldier on” may be causing you more damage that either eventually force you to stop working, or even debilitate you further in your retirement life.
You see, while supervisors and the employing agency applaud the mindset of the “good soldier” who fights on even when they are not healthy, in the end the only one who ends up paying the price is the employee themselves. Continuing to put your body through an adverse health risk and exposing yourself to added perils are not constructive to your overall well being. Whether the medical condition is purely physical, or if there is a mental health element involved, following your doctor’s advice is often the most advantageous to you, the employee.
Eligible to File for Federal Disability Retirement?
You can be eligible to file for disability retirement and receive benefits. You need to weigh your options and your health and make a decision based on your long term future. Sometimes it makes more sense to go into the private sector and work a job that doesn’t aggravate your conditions, or allows you to find new employment that isn’t as demanding, while using the disability payments to supplement your income and keeping your federal group benefits.
If you are working a Limited or Light duty, modified job assignment, you could be putting yourself at risk. Limited and Light duty assignments are given by the agency, but are not guaranteed to last. They do not offer long term security and can be withdrawn. They also can lead to situations where you, the injured employee, are asked to go outside your medical restrictions. If you are working a modified assignment, you are eligible to apply for disability benefits. A modified job is not the same as your regular job, even if you are receiving your full pay. Consider your options, but understand that you may work outside of your federal job and earn an income on top of the disability pay while keeping your health and life insurance with the federal government.
If you are entirely out of work due to your medical condition, and your doctor does not believe that you will return to full duty within the next year, you definitely need to consider federal disability retirement. The disability benefits are designed for anyone that is not going to be able to continue in their full duty position for at least the next year due to a medical condition. This is not short term disability, meaning if you are about to return to full duty, this isn’t for you.
Many people don’t want to be labeled as “disabled” or maybe they’re worried about having nothing to do in retirement. Well the good news is that filing for Disability Retirement benefits doesn’t mean any of that. It simply means that you can’t keep doing that particular job. You can be employed anywhere in the private sector and earn an income on top of what you receive from the Office of Personnel Management.
Remember to listen to your body, and your doctor. If you have any type of medical condition that keeps you from fully completing the essential functions of your job, it may be time to explore your rights. Call Harris Federal Law Firm, for a free consultation to learn more about the benefits and eligibility requirements assigned by the OPM. We help thousands of federal employees every year find the solution that suits their needs. Call us today, we look forward to serving you.
