Burning Sick Leave: Managing Sick Leave Usage Near Retirement

Are you nearing retirement and wondering how to manage your sick leave best? Join Tammy and Micah in this insightful episode of the Plan Your Federal Retirement podcast as they dive deep into the intricacies of using sick leave to optimize your federal retirement benefits.

In this episode, Tammy and Micah explore:
The impact of sick leave on your federal pension calculation, including the high-three average salary and length of service.
Discover how to strategically use your sick leave balance to extend your service time and increase your retirement benefits, opening up new possibilities for your retirement. Important rules and guidelines from OPM regarding sick leave usage.
Common pitfalls federal employees should avoid when trying to maximize their sick leave.
Gain inspiration from real-life examples and scenarios, including how one federal employee used his sick leave during a terminal illness to stabilize his family financially. The differences between civilian and military sick leave policies and why terminal leave is not an option for federal employees.
Whether in the early stages of your career or just a few months away from retirement, this episode is packed with valuable information to help you make the most of your sick leave.

Tune in to learn how to avoid costly mistakes and ensure a smooth transition into retirement. Remember, a small mistake can lead to a significant loss in your retirement benefits.

=-=-=-=-

Want to learn more about how you can plan for your federal retirement? Then check out:

Do you like listening to podcasts? Want to specifically learn how to better plan for your federal retirement? Then check out:

Plan Your Federal Retirement Podcast:

Are you looking to work with a financial planner who specializes in the intricacies involved with the federal employee retirement system? Then check us out:

Also, follow me at these places below and say hi!

LinkedIn:

Facebook:

Until next time, happy planning!

Micah Shilanski, CFP®
Tammy Flanagan

[karltitz]

DEVELOPING EXPERTISE TO GAME A SYSTEM INSTEAD OF INVESTING THAT ENERGY IN DOING OUR JOBS MAY BE THE REASON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ARE VILIFIED TODAY. My 20 years of unused sick days were added to the accounts of truly sick people who had exhausted their allowance.

[barano]

If you’re not in the “Club” or “Clique” office politics often dictates who gets to burn sick leave liberally.

[wallys]

I do think that it is a short term insurance policy and will hold until the end. I’ve seen many managers “burn” sick leave in the end and if you give sick leave back for pennies on the dollar then shame on you! If it was paid like annual leave then we’d be having a different conversation.

[leetsai]

Please discuss about the impact of deferred resignation to retirement. Thanks!

[SweetPstube]

Why not get rid of the rule that things need to work out after 30 years and just pay out the left over leave

[johngrubb]

I am retiring 31 Dec 2025. My supervision is really cool. They are going to let me burn all my LS. I am on the 5-4-9 schedule, so he "wants" me to take the non payday off. Also, he is going to let me use the rest of my LS as leave throughout the year. One way i am able to use more than 3 LS days in a row is through my VA disability. My VA Doc has provided me a FMLA ltr to allow me to use up to 5 days in a row per month. That way i will be able to burn all my LS legally my last year. 27:40

[jaystendig]

Math is wrong should be total service for this appointment 30 yrs 5 months 16 days (not 6)

[leahdax]

hey, it looks like you subtracted incorrectly in the day column for total service. 31 days minus 15 days is 16 days, not 6 days. Or am I missing something?

[halfmoongh]

Rather know if it would be smarter to just use most of my sick time which would, in my case, increase my hours worked which in turn adds more to my SS, FERS, TSP, *if* sick time income contributes to those. That's what I am trying to clarify. We do not have short term disability or long term disability at my agency.

[mikelittle]

Fmla for sick leave into retirement can i use sl to get to my retirement date...i gave more so that work days

[MaryHelenMartinez-vx]

If I have 40 years service and 62 years of age and I have 395 sick leave hours. I don’t need the sick leave to extend my service. Should I use up my sick leave?

[joesteel]

I wish I would of used up my sick leave. I've got nearly 600 hours and retiring this summer. I plan taking sick leave every week until then.

[thomasparks]

Any idea how many CSRS employees still working?

[bjdon]

You get 13 sick days / yr. If you are healthy like me you may use 1-2 total days including doctor office visits in the year, and bank the rest. Book 11 days for 10 years and you have 110 sick days accrued. 20 yrs is 220 days.

[kens.]

I am on a compressed work schedule and always work nights from 6p_6a, when I sell back my annual eave upon retirement will it be computed at the base salary hourly rate or will it be computed at the base with night differential hourly rate? What about holiday rate if my leave sell back includes MLK and President's Day? And finally, the Sunday night differential, will that be factored in since I would have worked those dates if I had not retired?

[ThisFriggenGuy-liui]

You can’t use sick leave unless you meet the requirements for it. Aka being sick, etc. If bad management lets it happen then shame on them and the abusers.