FERS Medical Retirement from OPM: The Hand We are Dealt

No one is ever satisfied with the hand we are dealt.  Every now and again, of course, an exception is declared: The Lottery Winner; the sudden “star”; an unexpected turn of events; a once-in-a-lifetime coalescence of positive circumstances, etc.  But in the whole, we are not satisfied with the “hand” we are dealt.

Of course, the metaphorical reference has to do with cards — poker, black jack, other games of card usage.  Or, in living our lives, the reference can be made to the circumstances in which we find ourselves — a contentious marriage; a seemingly hopeless situation; a medical condition; a job we can no longer perform.

In the end, the hand we are dealt can only change by the manner in which we respond.  Do you hold the cards we are dealt?  Do we put them down and walk away?  Do we exchange some for others?

It is the choices we make with the hand we are dealt, which makes all of the difference.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who have a medical condition which impacts one’s ability and capacity to continue in one’s career, you have the option of filing for Federal or Postal Disability Retirement benefits.

Contact an experienced FERS Disability Lawyer who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law — and consider whether or not the hand you are dealt can become a winning hand.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Postal and Federal Medical Retirement: The Difference

Perhaps it is large and expansive; or, of such a thin, frail line that one can barely notice it; in either case, it is that difference — large or small, wide or thin, statistically insignificant or clearly discernible — that makes the difference.

How important is it to you?  What are you willing to invest in the difference in order to make the difference a difference of relevance?  What level and extent of a difference will make it significant enough that the difference will be the difference between success or failure?

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition which prompts the necessity for filing an effective FERS Medical Retirement application with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, it is important to have that “advantage” and “edge” in increasing the chances of a successful application.  The difference will likely be the lawyer you choose.

Contact a Federal Disability Retirement Lawyer who has made a difference in the lives of countless thousands of Federal employees and Postal workers, and enhance your chances of a successful outcome by preparing, formulating and filing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application under FERS.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

FERS Disability Retirement: The Meaning of Incompatibility

We hear the word often — used in conjunction with “irreconcilable differences” (in a divorce proceeding), or perhaps in an electrical engineering context where voltages and circuitry are “incompatible” with this or that mainframe, or some similar language game involving technical issues which don’t work well together.

It is a peculiar word; stated in a certain way or tone of voice, it is a declaration of finality, as in, “Nope!  These two [blanks] are incompatible!”  And ascribed to human beings?  How about: “Jane and Joe were married for 20 years.  They have separated and are going to get a divorce because they are no longer compatible”.  Does the phrase, “no longer compatible” mean the same thing as being “incompatible”?  Can two people, like two components of some mechanical processes, become “incompatible” when previously they were not?  Are people like widgets where parts can be irreplaceable in one instance, but are no longer so in the next?

It is, as well, a legal term.  In the field of Federal Disability Retirement Law, incompatibility is the “fourth” criteria that can be met if the first three (deficiency in performance, conduct or attendance) cannot be satisfied in a Federal Disability Retirement case.  Some medical conditions cannot so easily be described in terms of a 1-to-1 ratio between a medical condition and an essential element of one’s Federal or Postal job that cannot be met.

In their aggregate and totality, the compendium of medical conditions may have come to a critical juncture where they are no longer compatible (i.e., incompatible) with continuation or retention in the Federal Service, and that is when filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits through OPM becomes a necessary function of one’s future goals and plans.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

OPM Medical Retirement under FERS: Consider the Alternatives

In making any decision, it is always important that one consider the alternatives available.  It is the decision made in isolation — of contending with thoughts, fears and misinformation within a vacuum of not knowing — that often results in disastrous decisions made without consulting and considering the alternatives available.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from a medical condition where that medical condition prevents the Federal or Postal employee from performing one or more of the essential elements of one’s Federal or Postal job, the choices are often stark and clear: Stay at a job or career which is no longer sustainable, and where the Agency will increasingly harass and punitively initiate actions in an effort to remove you; resign and walk away with nothing; or, in the best alternative available, file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits under FERS.

Sometimes, of course, the “unexpected” alternative can occur: For example, a person who has filed for FERS Disability Retirement benefits is offered a reassignment that is both acceptable and accommodating to one’s medical condition, and continuation in the Federal Workforce is thus possible.  In most instances, however, filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits is “The” alternative, and the only viable one available, but even such an alternative must be considered carefully in light of the existing laws, the potentiality for problems to be encountered, and the resistance met by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for the multiple and varied reasons that OPM bases its denials upon.

Considering the alternatives is not just a matter of whether and when to file, but to be cognizant of the difficulties ahead in preparing, formulating and filing an effective Federal Disability Retirement application with OPM; and in order to do that, you should consult with an attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement Law under FERS, through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire

 

Postal & Federal Employees Disability Retirement: The Obituaries

Why are they published, and who reads them?  Is it when a person reaches a certain age and wants a sense of security that death and age are relative issues — that there is not a necessary connection between the two?  Was mortality ever questioned?

When we come across an octogenarian’s obituary, we may merely marvel at such longevity and perhaps with some admiration declare, “At least he lived a long life”; but when we view a young person’s description on the next page, we wonder with sadness at the suddenness of it all.  Was it necessary or inevitable?  How must the parents feel —for that is the horror of every parent, is it not, to bury one’s child before one’s self?

Obituaries provide some level of comfort — of a final testament and declaration to the world that seemingly never cared; on a practical level, to provide whatever social or legal notice to surviving beneficiaries; and as a reminder to us all that life should be celebrated and not mourned — at least for those still living.

For Federal employees and U.S. Postal workers who suffer from ill health and where health becomes a daily reminder that there are some things in life which are not worth sacrificing, reading the obituaries should jar one into realizing that being a sacrificial lamb at the altar of a Federal Agency or the Postal Service is never a worthwhile goal.  If your health is deteriorating and you have a medical condition which prevents you from performing all of the essential elements of your Federal or Postal job, it may be time to consult with an experienced attorney who specializes in Federal Disability Retirement benefits.

In the end, you do not want to read your own obituary and shake your head saying, “Too young, too foolish, too late.”

Sincerely,

Robert R. McGill, Esquire