Last Updated on February 7, 2012 by FERS Disability Attorney
In lectures and speeches, a “signpost” is a linguistic device used to reveal to the listener what direction the talk is about to take. In everyday life, there are similar signposts which one provides, and which others provide to the recipient. The problem is normally not that there does not exist a signpost; rather, the difficulties normally follow upon the inability of the individual to recognize such signposts. One can ignore such signposts and continue to forge forward, or one can attempt to identify it, evaluate it, then make the best possible judgment, concurrently preparing for the progressive developments which will ensue as more and more signposts are forthcoming.
In preparing for Federal Disability Retirement benefits from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the identification and action upon a signpost is essentially what one does. The signpost constitutes the medical condition and the progressive impact of that medical condition upon the ability or inability of a Federal or Postal worker to continue in a particular kind of job. It tells the Federal or Postal employee who is suffering from a particular medical condition, as to the direction which (A) will be forced upon the Federal or Postal employee (B) the Federal or Postal employee is encouraged to start to undertake, or (C) the Federal or Postal employee should/must take.
The identification of the appropriate direction is entirely dependent upon the stage and current status of the medical condition, and its present impact upon the Federal or Postal employee. One can certainly have a fourth option: to ignore the signpost. But to ignore the signpost is to merely delay the inevitable, and to progressively limit and narrow the options available.
In a Federal Disability Retirement case, one ignores such signposts at one’s peril.
Sincerely,
Robert R. McGill, Esquire
I have sustained a permanent back injury, I was removed from federal job as a materials handler,the doctors at the VA place of employment would not place me on medical leave to recover.When I was removed owcp had me attend a second oppinion exam, the results were I can not perform my usual job without accommodations 6hr work days and no lifting more than 50 lbs @ 2hrs a day my back is easily aggravated it has been 18 months. I lost mspb appeal .Union rep filed untimely,now at US Supreme Court level petition for certiorari I am not Knowledgeable and need help filing.OWCP said I only have medical benefits a doctor from the pain clinic where I get trigger point injections placed in my medical notes that I was involved in a car accident thats incorrect, owcp now wants to deny my claim.I have applied for my job of 10 years as materials handler and was not well qualified,and for a driving position and was not qualified. I was unaware of the time limit for federal disability retirement . I am having a very hard time trying to find employment to provide for my family. I have found that I have no options, I am disabled and have been discriminated against and ignored and mislead.
When you are removed, terminated,or fired from a federal job that you sustained an injury from Human Resourses should have an instruction booklet on how to apply for unemployment benefits ,workers compensation benefits and explain that there are federal disability benefits and civilian disability benefits.