Support HR 958

Currently, there are 1.2 million employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). When retiring, these employees receive no compensation for their unused sick leave.
Unlike their Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) counterparts, FERS employees must “use it or lose it”.

As a result, many believe that FERS employees will use more of their sick leave as they approach retirement (resulting in productivity losses) than their CSRS counterparts. This costs the government about $68 million a year. FERS employees comprise an increasing percentage of the federal workforce, and by 2014 virtually all federal employees are expected to be in FERS.

Rep. Jim Moran has introduced H.R. 958 during the 111th Congress. The bill would "make unused sick leave creditable, for purposes of the Federal Employees' Retirement System, in the same manner as provided for under the Civil Service Retirement System". H.R. 958 would allow FERS employees, at retirement, to use their unused sick leave credit to add to their annuities, much like CSRS. The bill is intended to cut down on sick leave abuse by retiring FERS employees and
provide incentive for accruing sick hours for use during unexpected illness. The program encourages postal employees to save their hours for credit at the time of retirement.

I urge members of Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 958, which would allow FERS Employees to add any unused sick leave to years they have worked to determine their retirement annuity.