We asked:

Among the bills that moved through Congress last week is one allowing for phased retirement for federal workers. Would such a program, which would allow employees to work part time after retirement, with their salaries and annuities prorated help or hurt agencies? Would you participate in the program?

You said:

I would consider this option. It seems that it would benefit both the agency and the retiree with the transition. When all you know is to get up and go to work every day, then you do not have that [retirement] focus (unless you are fortunate enough to not be a widow/widower and have plans with your mate in retirement). The finality of retirement would be less.

Plus, knowledge and experience sometimes just cant be written in a continuity book!

I work for the Department of Defense with the Air Force and have for the past 28 years.

Katherine N. Lane

resource adviser

Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

I think this is a great idea. It is a win-win. The individual can prepare for retirement at his own pace. The agency benefits because they can still tap into the knowledge that the individual has. This will help agencies from making mistakes that they solved years ago but there is nobody left to remember that solution. Additionally, the agency can have the part time retiree mentor the new people coming into the agency. The agency has a vacancy and can hire a person to do those duties while the retiree mentors him.

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Federal workers: phased retirement sounds good