Can a Federal Worker be forced to retire at 62 years old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's very hard to "push out" a gov employee. It is not by chance "retired in place" is such a common phrase. The manager may be trying to make her uncomfortable so she would leave. She should stop caring.

This ^^.

When I was at the DOJ I saw vast amounts of incompetence, laziness and nonsense. Over the course of about a decade I saw two people pressured until they quit. I did see one person let go, but it was a relatively easy situation as their hire was contingent upon a suitable background check, and something negative came up in it.

OP if this person is put on a PIP, she can start worrying. That is the first step to firing. Rude comments from a manager that could be considered ageist? Document, and then ignore. I would advise her to document every instance of anything that could even remotely be considered ageism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is she in a union?

OP. No, I recall her telling me that she is not covered by the union. Also she was uncertain if the agency’s HR dept would really be her advocate. That is, would the HR be required to put management’s interest before hers?

Never, ever consider HR your friend. Always assume they will take the side of management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Federal agencies generally cannot force employees to retire at a specific age, even at 62. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects employees aged 40 and older from discrimination based on age, including forced retirement due to age alone. If your friend is being asked about retirement plans but has not been explicitly told to retire, it's important to clarify whether this is a suggestion or an attempt to force retirement. If her manager is reducing her responsibilities or taking away major projects, it could be perceived as constructive dismissal. It's important for her to document any instances of perceived discriminatory treatment or changes in her job responsibilities. If she is in a union, agree that she should contact her rep.

Well, they can for law enforcement positions that have a mandatory retirement age, but that isn’t this situation.