FERS Medical Retirement: The Chance for Success

It is what everyone wants to know; we have all been accustomed to relying upon percentages — of probability theories from the likelihood of being struck by lightening to whether we will be attacked by a shark while swimming in the ocean (in both instances, of course, various factors come into play, as in: If you don’t venture into those circumstances which favor such calamities, the probability of such occurrences precipitously drops).

Or in the case of divorce, for example — Does including Elizabeth Taylor in the statistical analysis skewer the numbers— or those in Hollywood generally?

One can argue as to the accuracy of statistical analysis by questioning the data used, but we nevertheless seek assurance and find refuge in numbers, because of the impenetrable mysteries surrounding numerical certainties.  Math is a uniquely different language, and most of us struggle with comprehending its complexities while simultaneously defending its infallible status in the universe.

For Federal Gov. employees and U.S. Postal workers who have filed, or want to file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS, the question often posed is — What are the chances for success?  The answer, of course, is: It all depends upon the various factors underlying your own particular case.

However, one thing is quite certain: You must be prepared to fight for your case, a each and every stage of the process.  You must prepare an arsenal of weapons — not the least of which, includes the legal cases which favor and support your case.  It may be a self-evident proposition, but here goes: If you are not willing to fight aggressively against the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, you will surely lose.

So, take this simple advice from an experienced lawyer: Filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits is not for the “faint of heart” and must be engaged in only with a view towards a “long and arduous slog”.

And as for the chance for success?  With the guidance of an experienced Federal Disability Retirement Lawyer, it can be exponentially enhanced.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

FERS Disability Retirement Help: Problem Solving

How does one learn how to do it?  Does it begin in childhood, by “working” with toys, in being allowed the patience of time in “working things out”; of being taught that frustration comes when impatience intercedes and confuses the two conceptual entities:  of process and goal?  How much does a “helicopter” parent impede a child’s capacity to learn it?

You know — those parents who are constantly on their cellphones, hovering nearby; then, the parent suddenly looks up and sees the neglected child tottering on a dangerous ledge 2 feet high and rushes over to swoop the child to safety lest the poor child falls upon a soft bed of mulch below.

Of connecting train-tracks on the living room floor; figuring out that unless the tracks are properly connected, derailment will occur; Of putting the right letter into the matching slot; or, instead of the child being allowed sufficient time to “figure it out”, the parent — impatient and without the time because the next chore or appointment is upcoming — finishes the task for the child.

For the child, the “work” of life is comprised of being given sufficient time to solve the problems of play; if that is not learned and allowed for, the task of problem solving may well become a problem in and of itself.

For U.S. Government employees and Postal Service workers who suffer from a medical problem, such that the medical problem prevents the Federal or Postal Service employee from performing one or more of the basic elements of one’s Federal or Postal Service job, the problem of getting an approval from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is the “Obstacle” problem:  There is a wall, and that wall is the obstacle, and the obstacle is comprised of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management — the Federal human resources agency which makes all determinations on Federal Disability Retirement applications.

How does one climb over the metaphorical wall?  Contact a FERS Disability Retirement Attorney who specializes in OPM Disability Retirement Law and leave the specialized problem-solving issue of obtaining an approval for a Federal or Postal Disability Retirement application to the FERS specialist who is uniquely trained in such problem-solving issues.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

OPM Disability Retirement Law: Mental Accretions

It is the “process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter”.  It is that which becomes magnified within the insularity of the mind — of the aggregation expanded by creativity, imagination, fears, potentiality, impotence, nightmares; in short, the fullness of one’s cognitive infinity.

Mental accretions include the limitless capacity of the mind towards exponential creations by taking the encounter of Being — of what “is” — and going beyond and imagining the worst, or the best.  Kantian philosophy would be compatible with this perspective — of the categorical imperatives, the imposition of human perspectives upon the noumental world of pure objectivity; and in the end, it is the human, mental accretions which determine whether or not we can maneuver the greater world within which we must operate.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, mental accretions are often the roadblock preventing the next step in moving beyond your present circumstances.

For, it is often the mental accretions themselves — of magnified fears out of proportion to the reality of your situation; of imagined impediment reflecting not the problems able to be solved, but of unreasonable conclusions reached without sound advice.

Do not let the mental accretions rule and ruin the potentiality of what may be; instead, contact a Federal Lawyer who specializes in FERS Disability Retirement Law, and begin the process of getting sound and practical advice in preparing, formulating and filing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and stop fretting over the mental accretions which fail to reflect the true perspective of your current circumstances.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

OPM Disability Retirement: The Autopilot of Smooth Sailing

We all have a tendency of doing that — of placing the metaphorical “ship of life” on autopilot when there is smooth sailing.  Perhaps that is right — for, it takes effort and manual control when rough waters are encountered (continuing with the metaphor), but the reality is that we should be working on expected difficulties precisely when the sailing is smooth: i.e., when we have the time to attend to the anticipated difficulties.

But life is too busy; we are too exhausted to attend to those anticipated problems; and when presented with an opportunity to simply put the ship on autopilot and take a nap, we do so because we need the rest and temporary respite away from all of life’s problems.

It is all well and good for the super-wealthy to talk about how life should not be bifurcated into “work life” and “personal life”, but rather, should be seen as a Zen-like circle where both aspects are fully enjoyed (who made such an inane statement?  Hint — the owner of a monopoly who recently went into space and whose company is featured prominently in the novel and movie, “Nomadland”).

For the super-wealthy, it matters not the distinction between work and personal space; presumably, in either sphere, you are increasing your wealth and so the “personal” becomes the “work” and vice versa.

For the rest of us, we need the bifurcation — of a time away in order to reenergize our batteries.  Life is so exhausting these days that the autopilot of smooth sailing tends to dominate, and we are unable to attend to the times of rough waters.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition and can no longer perform all of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, the “rough waters” are likely prevailing, but you do not have the energy to get off of autopilot.

That is when you need to contact an OPM Disability Attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law and begin to maneuver the craft caught in rough waters through the treacherous waves of the Federal Disability Retirement process.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

OPM Medical Disability Benefits: When Boring Becomes a Burden

It is an indicator as to how serious the problem has become.  For, when the boring becomes a burden, it means that those things you have taken for granted — walking the dog; logging on to the computer; remembering where you last left your keys; driving to the corner store, etc. — have become a concern.

Are you having to “re-learn” the basic components of life?  Are the things you once did with aplomb — of effortless and seamless completion in order to get to the more challenging tasks in line — becoming an “issue” in and of themselves?

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, when boring becomes a burden, it is an indicator that it is time to consider filing for Federal Disability retirement benefits under FERS, through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Contact an OPM/MSPB Attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law, and begin the process of changing when boring becomes a burden — by re-focusing priorities and bringing your health back into the boring category instead of the beast of burden it has become.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
Lawyer exclusively representing Federal and Postal employees to secure their Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

 

OPM Disability Retirement under FERS: The Choice

Not all Federal Disability Retirement cases are the same.  The strength of a case is most often based upon the medical report and records compiled and submitted; the weakness of a case is often the agency’s contention that there are no service deficiencies, either in performance, conduct or attendance.

Rarely is a disability retirement application based upon a single, catastrophic event — although, that can happen, as well.

Psychiatric conditions are accepted as a viable basis for OPM Disability Retirement purposes, just as much as physical disabilities — a contention which was not the case a decade or so ago.

The choice for most Federal and Postal workers is often a stark one: Either remain at the job; resign, walk away and do nothing; or, file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits.  When a medical condition begins to impact one’s life, the first choice is often no longer a viable one; the second, a foolish one; the third, a decision to be made based upon the strength or weakness of a case.

Contact an OPM Disability Retirement Attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law, and begin the process of making the right choice given your unique circumstances.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Federal Employee Disability Retirement: Peace of Mind

It is a wonder how information is restricted or fails to be disseminated.  Of course, like all insurance policies, one is never interested in the details of an insurance policy unless and until it is needed.  Insurance is often likened to “peace of mind” — and that is how it is packaged and sold.

You purchase insurance not only because it is required (such as auto and home), but because of the fear of the “What if” scenario: What if I die before my children have grown up? (life insurance).  What if someone gets injured on my property? (umbrella insurance).  What if I become disabled and am unable to work? (Disability Insurance).

Yes, there are private policies, as well, but fortunately for Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, there is the added benefit of Federal Disability Retirement.

You may not need to access it for now, and for that, it provides a “peace of mind” until and unless it becomes necessary.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill
FERS Disability Attorney

 

FERS Disability Retirement: Does Anyone, Anymore?

Does anyone read poetry, anymore?  Does anyone ever talk to anyone else, anymore — face to face, outside of the medium of electronic devices?  Does anyone actually give his or her full time and attention, anymore?  Does anyone believe in anything, anymore?

As the pews of churches become emptied ever more each day; as people interact through Smartphones and other electronic devices exclusively; as the world of reality is ever more replaced by the virtual universe of language games no longer based upon the disjunctive between truth and falsity — one wonders whether the abandonment of poetry is a sign that human emotion and empathy is no longer evident in the soul of a civilization.

Reading poetry takes time; time that we no longer have.  Reading poetry takes patience; patience which can no longer be afforded.  Reading poetry requires the lull of cadence where voices and laughter commingle into a shared mirth of joyful sounds; and of which we have lost.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal worker from performing all of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, the question becomes: Does anyone, anymore?  Does anyone care, anymore?  Does anyone actually want to help, anymore?

Consult with a FERS Attorney who specializes in FERS Disability Retirement Law and consider filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, lest the quest is answered in the negative and termination of employment becomes just another unanswered questionreverberating with the finality of, Does Anyone, Anymore?

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

OPM Disability Retirement under FERS: The Routine of Life

We live mostly on automatic pilot; whether by insidious lack of awareness or some evolutionary mechanism that blocks out and limits the stimuli that bombards, so much of life is lived as a routine — without thought or even consciousness (do we equate the two or recognize the distinction?), but like the automaton working deliberatively in jerking movements of mechanized stridency, we may grumble but carry on with the routine of life.

And even when we are unaware that we do so, we are reminded of how predictable our actions have become: the garbage is emptied on certain days because the manner in which we live takes on a quantifiable aspect of regularity; the times we walk the dog; the leisure activities; and even our responses to questions posed. Is it ever possible, or even desirous, to live a life without routine? But then, wouldn’t an unpredictable life become a predictable one precisely because the routine of life becomes one of unpredictable predictability? Or is it the other way around — of predictable unpredictability?

Yet, those who moan and groan about the routine of life — its inherent monotony; the loss of excitement in failing to engage in the arbitrariness of the path less traveled (doesn’t that poetic description itself become predictable in the course of everyday conversations?); the comfort we find in the very commonplace “sameness” of daily living — we miss it only when we lose it.  It is like two old people who have shared a lifetime together, but for some ungodly reason decide to divorce, thinking that excitement and fulfillment are achieved by destroying the routine of life; and only afterwards do we appreciate the monotony of that routine.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal worker from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, the Routine of Life is that which one wants to regain.  For, it is the interruptive medical condition that destroys the comfort of such a routine.

Preparing an effective OPM Disability Retirement application is the pathway towards attaining some semblance of the Routine of Life, and of getting back some semblance of monotony which we all complain about but unknowingly desire.  Consult with an attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law and begin the process of re-ordering the chaos that has beset a life of medical issues, and begin to work towards reaffirming the Routine of Life which we all crave and desire, once lost but want to regain, and constantly yearn for the one thing that we all complain about.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

FERS Medical Retirement from the OPM: That cup of tea

It is the symbol of a quieter life; of a pastoral time of past remembrances, where the slower pace accorded a tranquility now lost forever.  It is referred to in many of William Trevor’s short stories — of that time in England when people still sat around and had “that cup of tea”.  For, somehow, the notion of fine china, the curling wisps of winding steam and the aroma of warmth and comfort retain a resonance of civility, quietude and the sentiment of calmer times.

Coffee, on the other hand, betrays a greater americanism — of forging ahead, forever seeking progress and movement, a person on steroids who cannot take the time, will not, and in fact has no time for the silliness of having that cup of tea.  That is why coffee is taken on the road, in plastic or styrofoam cups; in mugs and sturdy, thick jugs; whether plain, with a bit of milk and with or without sugar.

The two represent different times; of lifestyles gone and replaced; of civility and crudity.  Starbucks and others have tried to gentrify the cup of coffee, of course, and to create different “Internet cafes” with sophisticated-sounding names for lattes, “XY-Americano” or some similar silly-sounding names; but in the end it is the bit of coffee painted with a lipstick on the pig, and it remains the shot of coffee that provides the taste.

People are like that; and we all reminisce about times past, of “good old days” and for some, we miss that cup of tea.  For the greater society, the two contrasting flavors of a drink represent a bifurcation of sorts: One, for a kind of life we long for; the other, the reality within which we find ourselves.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal worker from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, the distinction between the cup of tea and the mug of coffee is like a metaphor of one’s own circumstances: the body and mind requires that cup of tea; the reality that swirls around demands the mug of coffee.

Preparing, formulating and filing a Federal Disability Retirement application, whether the Federal or Postal employee is under FERS, CSRS or CSRS Offset, is perhaps the antidote to the growing problem.  While it may not be every person’s cup of tea, it is something that — given the environment of the Federal Agency and the Postal Service in requiring every worker to act like a caffein-induced maniac — may medically indicate a change from the coffee-centered culture that cannot sit even for a brief moment to enjoy that distant reverberation of fine china clinking amidst the calm of a quiet morning.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire