Last Updated on November 1, 2012
Particularized geographical locations will have differing stories. Rarely are two stories the same, and indeed, that can be the case even between neighbors who are twenty feet apart. It is the uniqueness of each situation which defines the situation. A storm can come — whether in terms of the “objective” world, or perhaps through psychological and emotional turmoil — without but a passing notice to a friend, neighbor, or coworker.
For the Federal or Postal worker contemplating preparing, formulating and filing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, whether under FERS or CSRS, the “storm” which must be endured is the medical condition itself, and its impact upon one’s livelihood, one’s life, and future stability for one’s family. It is a process which is independent of one’s geographical location. It is a condition which, often, coworkers only suspect, and is unfortunately hidden and kept from supervisors and managers, for obvious reasons.
The physical storms which come and go will leave behind a trail of visible devastation; what agencies and supervisors do will often leave residual damage far greater than physical devastation can betray. It is the storms of daily life which need attending to, as opposed to a one-time life-event. If that “storm” of a medical condition has come to a flashpoint where one can no longer work at a Federal or Postal position, then it is time to begin preparing to file for Federal Disability Retirement benefits. Only the individual who suffers — silently, and in fear — can make that determination.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire