Congratulations on your decision to retire from the government, and a hearty Federal Times “thank you!” for your dedicated service to our country!
We know you might be sick of filling out forms, but before you go, please consider taking our survey. (And if you already retired, well, consider this nostalgia.)
Federal Times would like to know your thoughts on public service, especially during a time of political division and questions being raised about the role of government in Americans’ lives.
Public servants are easy targets for opponents of our federal system to criticize, but we want to hear from you.
Plus, navigating the federal retirement system can be difficult; some retirees face backlogs up to several months before getting their first check, while inflation and high costs of living are taking bigger bites out of benefits.
So, whether it was your first and only government job, or your fifth and final, was it worth it? Would you do it all over again? What’s next for you?
Your responses to the survey below will be used to inform our reporters on issues facing federal retirees and those preparing to retire. It’ll help shape our coverage to be more useful to readers.
Federal Times will aim to publish the results of the survey in a few weeks.
All your answers are anonymous, but if you’d like to be interviewed or share words of wisdom with the next generation of civil servants, send us a message to tips@federaltimes.com
Who are federal retirees?
According to the Office of Personnel Management, of the 2.2 million retired employees, the average age is 73 for non-disability and 66 for disability.
In fiscal year 2018, 96% of federal employees were enrolled in the Federal Employee Retirement System, which covers employees hired since 1984. Four percent were enrolled in the older Civil Service Retirement System, which covers only employees hired before 1984.
A third of all annuitants live in California, Texas, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia.
Editor’s note: This is not a scientific survey. The poll is anonymous, though respondents have the option to share their contact exclusively with reporters at Federal Times. Personal information will not be published or shared without permission.
*If the survey doesn’t load, click here.
Molly Weisner is a staff reporter for Federal Times where she covers labor, policy and contracting pertaining to the government workforce. She made previous stops at USA Today and McClatchy as a digital producer, and worked at The New York Times as a copy editor. Molly majored in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
