Federal Worker Disability Retirement: Erasers

Erasers have been replaced by the ‘delete’ button; that concept alone is a peculiarity:  of the mechanism used to expunge is itself made obsolete and disappears.  It is a tribute to the human imagination that we can project scenarios in which individuals, including ourselves, are no longer part of the equation.

The anomaly, of course, rests in the reality that when we so imagine a scene which occurred, but of which we ‘delete’ certain events or individuals, the one who imagines such changes is omnisciently present by virtue of being the one who thinks and creates such thoughts.  That is sometimes part of the problem in considering a change in one’s life; we are often incapable of imagining the change because we cannot fathom deleting our presence, or altering the circumstances, from that which we have known and traveled for so long.

Habitual dependence allows for a comfort zone which is difficult to traverse and alter.  For Federal and Postal employees who suffer from a medical condition such that the medical condition impacts one or more of the essential elements of one’s work duties, the problem is often not the capacity to imagine change — for the medical condition itself has forced upon the Federal and Postal employee the changes by virtue of physical or cognitive alterations — but rather, the problem often involves imagining the necessity of making changes based upon the changes already wrought.

Such second-tier changes require planning and implementation beyond that which the medical condition forces; and consideration of filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, whether under FERS or CSRS, through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, is a necessary step in that process of accepting further changes.

It is like the eraser protesting to the computer that complete obsolescence cannot occur, despite the inevitable march of technology and time.  Oh, and by the way, they still do sell erasers.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

Federal Disability Retirement: Those Welcome Distractions

Filing for a Federal Disability Retirement through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management is a step which admits of a stark reality:  One’s medical condition has come to a point of irreversible deterioration, such that the impact upon one’s ability to continue in one’s chosen career now manifests itself to a degree which can no longer be concealed.

Interludes of distractions in life — whether a holiday, a period of inclement weather; perhaps a child’s sports event; or even watching the Olympics on television with one’s family; all such distractions allowed for needed interruptions and delays in facing the harsh reality of one’s situation, and each such delay allowed for procrastination and avoidance of the issues.  But at some point, the decision has to be made, and when one runs out of such welcome distractions, the pragmatic steps in order to successfully file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits must be systematically considered.

How and when to approach one’s treating doctor to garner the necessary support; the timing of informing one’s agency; a careful study of the factual and legal criteria necessary to qualify for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, whether under FERS or CSRS; obtaining legal advice, guidance and representation; the time involved; the costs involved; making the adjustments for one’s future, etc.

Life’s distractions are small pockets of delights; but when the distractions detract from making important decisions, it is time to reconsider the prioritization matrix upon which one’s foundation is built.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

Federal Disability Retirement: When the Violin Stops Playing

Self-flagellation is an activity which we all engage in; for, there is always a discovered virtue in being a depicted character worthy of empathy and kind concern.  In movies, television, and in the imaginative creativity stirred in one’s mind through effective novels and novellas, such a character may evoke a background music filled with the mournful sound of a solo violin.

In real life, however, the harshness of quietude lacking in any musical repertoire leaves only the silence of reality in a scene of perpetual encounters with a negation of rectitude; the fact is, music soothes the soul, and enhances the scenes we create, but in real life, the world around us imposes its reality over which we have very little control, for the most part, in directing either the factual circumstances or the orchestra in the background.

For the Federal or Postal Worker who is suffering from a medical condition, such that the medical condition prevents one from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, the reality of the impact of one’s medical condition is something which was never requested, never created, nor likely anticipated.

It is simply an “is” which must be dealt with, as in most unexpected encounters with modern life.  There is no background music, no violin repertoire to soothe the feelings of the Federal or Postal Worker; only hard choices to make.

Federal Disability Retirement is a benefit filed through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether the Federal or Postal Worker is under FERS or CSRS, and so long as the Federal or Postal Worker has a minimum of 18 months of creditable service, such an option may be a viable one to attain.

As for the mournful sound of a solo violin, it plays only to those who become lost in a world of make-believe; but when the scene ends, we are left with the quiescence of the harsh reality which surrounds us.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire