I don't know. I'm mid-40s with not a lot saved for retirement. I've been a fed for four years. If I stay for 20 years until I retire I've have a little pension at least. But the thought of staying just for that reason is demoralizing....

I'm in a litigating component at DOJ and plan to stay with the federal government (although not necessarily in this office of DOJ) until retirement -- not sure if that will get me to my 40th anniversary or not (I'll be 64 at 40 years in). But, yeah, I'm in it for the long haul.

Yup. I'm in it for the work life balance and job security. I just had my review with my boss the other day and he asked about my 5 year and 10 year plan. I told him I'm happy to be a GS-13 worker bee and cen't imagine the pay increase worth having to supervise people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Former fed here: my intention was to stay until retirement, but the agency I worked for was poorly run and I couldn't take anymore. I left after 13 years for a job with a local government. My only regret is leaving behind a healthy leave balance.

Vacation leave? You earned that, they paid you for it when you left.

PP here. Oh yes, that got paid out, which was great! However, it's a little tough starting over with a leave balance of zero in a new job, especially with young kids who occasionally get sick. I'm still thankful I get paid leave; not everyone has that luxury.

Anonymous wrote:Former fed here: my intention was to stay until retirement, but the agency I worked for was poorly run and I couldn't take anymore. I left after 13 years for a job with a local government. My only regret is leaving behind a healthy leave balance.

Vacation leave? You earned that, they paid you for it when you left.

I had almost 10 years private industry, 17 years Fed. So sick of the Federal bureaucracy and would like to return to private.

Former fed here: my intention was to stay until retirement, but the agency I worked for was poorly run and I couldn't take anymore. I left after 13 years for a job with a local government. My only regret is leaving behind a healthy leave balance.

I don't think I could take this place for that long. The morale is SO BAD.

Only if I can get another position.

I would also be 77 at 40 years in...lol

Anonymous wrote:I did plan to stay until retirement but recently decided I've had enough and am quitting to stay home.

Really? How many years do you have and how old are you? Wish I could too.

I did plan to stay until retirement but recently decided I've had enough and am quitting to stay home.

I am a term, so no. I would if I could!

I just passed 27 years. I do expect to stay another 8-9 years until my youngest one is out of school.

Sometimes I can't stand this place but you do what you have to do to support your family.

I won't have a 40th anniversary as a fed, because that would mean working into my 70s (I had a career in the private sector first). But I do plan to stay until I'm ready to stop working full-time. So probably another 20-plus years. Of course, I've left jobs before when I got bored and wanted to do something else, so even though my plan for now is to stay, that can change.

The generation with pensions had to stay to get their payout... lots of people in my office are retiring after 30/ 40 years. What will we (the FERS a generation) or you, personally, do? Will you have a 40th anniversary as a fed?