Can I cancel my retirement?

The following is a question submitted by a Federal Times reader about retirement and other issues facing the federal workforce. It is answered by Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and a Federal Times columnist since 1995.

Question: I’m a CSRS employee who retired on July 29 due to too much stress regarding my work environment. Can I cancel my retirement? I was told that I could not do that and I’d enjoy retirement.

Reg’s Response: While you could cancel your retirement, your agency would have no obligation to rehire you. As a result, cancelling your retirement would not only leave you unemployed but you’d be required to return any annuity payments you had already received.

Got a question for the Federal Times expert?

Send inquiries to: fedexperts@federaltimes.com.

Reg Jones is the resident expert on retirement and the federal government at Federal Times. From 1979 until 1995, he served as an assistant director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management handling recruiting and examining, white and blue collar pay, retirement, insurance and other issues. Opinions expressed are his own.

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