Tag Archives: federal employee retirement system: opm disability retirement benefits

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.

 

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, anymoreface 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

 

Attorney for Federal Disability Retirement Claims: Of myths and unicorns

We too often consider myths and unicorns as those ancient stories based upon an error in analysis of transcendental or metaphysical concerns; that, somehow those “old folks from the past” (you know, the Celts, the Druids, the Normans and Romans and all of those other funny-sounding names once remembered for multiple-choice tests but otherwise lumped together as so many knights in shining armor with large red crosses painted across their chests) just didn’t understand the laws of the universe, Newtonian Physics or Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (even though we ourselves, or most of us, barely comprehend even the surface of such conceptual constructs), and that through misapprehension of the underlying “scientific” principles that were yet undiscovered or unrecognized, our sophistication in modernity can easily dismiss those beliefs of yore, of myths and unicorns.

But of our own myths and unicorns, of course, we can justify, though we cast away objective truth by a mere dismissive wave of the hand with certainty within the insularity of our own opinions, and declare dead the Platonic Forms or Aristotelian logic that once dominated the Western sector of the universe, and thereby cling to the very myths and unicorns we have created, though new and refreshing they may be or seem.

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, it is important to distinguish between myths (i.e., those stories of the ancients that are told around bonfires and sacramental declarations in the corridors of echoing halls), unicorns (those folklore creatures still believed to be in existence by some, like hobbits and gnomes) and The Law (that funny creature that creeps about in the dark recesses of doubtful minds, that somehow governs the day to day activities of most, and for the particular Federal or Postal employee who must consider filing for Federal Disability Retirement, some specific application to protect one’s rights).

Before you begin the process of preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement, know The Law by consulting with an attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law so that you do not mistake the misapprehension of the universe of Federal and Postal actions like so many myths and unicorns that yet pervade among us.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Federal Employee Disability Information: Accuracy

How important is accuracy?  The converse of such a query, of course, is:  Is inaccuracy significant?  One would immediately posit:  It all depends.

Take the following 2 hypotheticals:  An archeological dig is conducted, and it is believed that the site of the ruins is of relevant importance concerning a time-period of “recent” history — say, during the American Revolution.  Given that scenario, the “dating” of the site should be ascertainable within a year succeeding or preceding, such that if the Lead Archaeologist declares that the event in question occurred in 1778, “or possibly in 1779, maybe as early as 1777”, we know that — given the time period in question (1775 – 1783) — such a statement conveys a fairly accurate historical context.

Now, take the same hypothetical, but this time [sic] concerning some form [again, sic] of a fossil that is deemed at least 500 million years old.  If the Lead Archaeologist declares with some hint of irony, “Give or take a few million years more or less” — what would our reaction be?  Is such a “find” just as accurate as in the first hypothetical?  Can a declaration that is numerically off by a few million years (i.e., looking at it in quantifiable terms of 24 hours in a day times 365 days in a year times 2 – 5 million years equals how many hours for those who want a graspable perspective) be called a “science” in any meaningful usage of the term?

Of course, one could argue that even within the first hypothetical, given the limited range of years that comprises the American Revolution (1775 – 1783, or a mere 8 years), to be off by a year or so is also quite an astoundingly inaccurate assessment.  But which is “more accurate” — the one that is estimated within a year, or the one that quantifies it in terms of “millions” of years?  Can one even ask the question of “more or less” accurate, when the very concept of accuracy itself denotes precision and pinpointed, undeviated marksmanship?

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who are considering filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits, whether the Federal or Postal employee is under FERS, CSRS or CSRS Offset, the question of “accuracy” can be a crucial one.  How “accurate” does one’s Statement of Disability need to be on Standard Form 3112A, Applicant’s Statement of Disability?  What “precisely” does the treating doctor have to include in the medical report?  How detailed (and therefore, accurately) does the nexus between the medical documentation and the Applicant’s Statement of Disability does it have to reflect?

In all such questions, “accuracy” is a goal to attain in preparing, formulating and filing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application, to be submitted to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

For, while the Archaeologist may be “off” by a quantifiable sum of years in a site-dig and suffer little to no consequences, the Federal Disability Retirement applicant must depend upon the accuracy of the law in determining benefits to secure a future yet uncertain, and such an administrative endeavor is likened more to the accuracy of the arrow that is shot towards an apple resting upon the head of a young boy, than of a declaration made that is off by a few million years, give or take, more or less.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Federal Employee Disability Retirement: Being too kind

Can we be so? Is there a tipping point on the pendulum of sugary personalities where the spectrum of color-coded warnings tell us to be wary, for danger lurking within a context where one becomes suspicious of a conversation turning to an overabundance of kindness? Is there such an event, a personality, a characteristic and a trait of opposition as “being too kind”? On a spectrum or scale of revealing who or what a person is – does kindness turn about into an antonym of sorts, and become naked meanness or obstructive disregard in malfeasance by neglectful ignorance?

Can parents be charged with negligence or criminal neglect because they are “too kind” to their children by allowing them to do as they please?

Can a sugary-sweet conversation engaged in with a superior turn out to be a deliberate intent to elicit responses where safeguards are lowered and one’s instinctive inner alarms of suspicion are temporarily abandoned? If a person is truly “too kind”, does being so become a detriment, or a badge of honor that allows for one to pass through life with ever a smile on one’s face? Or, behind closed doors, in the dead of night when the darkness shrouds the turmoil brewing in ones’ inner thoughts, at what price does being too kind extract, like that pound of flesh diminishing the weight of relevance for each of us in a world known to be mean and unkind?

We all accept predators and other animals of wolverine intent; and there are surely angels amongst the population who wander throughout in order to touch the hearts for the pleasure of gods in the underworld of eternity; but of those who by personality quirks or some missing link in the Darwinian universe of survival instincts, do the opposites of kindness equal the mathematical rule and create the sum of meanness, or its very opposite, of angelic qualities rarely encountered in this universe of cynicism?

Then, of course, there is the dismissive wave of the hand of which no one wants to fall within that category: “Oh, he’s a nice enough guy” – a declarative which, when properly interpreted, means: “Irrelevant; not worth spending more than a few seconds with”. For, being too kind has two faces to it: Whether of a perennially naïve character, such that the person with that eccentricity can be trampled upon and yet remain so; or, there is an underlying and often malicious intent beneath the veneer of such kindness.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who are considering filing a Federal Disability Retirement application, whether the Federal or Postal employee is under FERS, CSRS or CSRS Offset, to be filed with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, remember that there is always a history of repeated conduct by Federal Agencies and Postal Facilities, which should forewarn you about a person, an agency, a department of a facility, that suddenly is being too kind.

For, always remember the childhood fable about Grimm’s or Perrault’s eternal truth, as depicted by Little Red Riding Hood; and, depending upon the version written, you may not want to get into that bed with a grandmother who has a long and suspicious-looking nose, as well as other telling features that should ring the alarm.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire