The Foreign Service Journal, January 2004

JANUARY 2004 • AFSA NEWS 7 Retiree Issues BY BONNIE BROWN, RETIREE ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR Q: How does a Foreign Service annuitant become reemployedby theDepartment of State in aWAE position? A: Each regional and functional bureau in thedepartment has its own separate WAE (While Actually Employed) program, which is managed according to the bureau’s particular per- sonnelneeds. Toapplyforre-employment, an applicant must submit a resumé or a standardemployment application formto a specific bureau. (Using a resumé rather than the employment formgives anannu- itant greater flexibility in showing how his or her skills would be of use to a particular bureau.) When the bureau — usually through the executive office —decides to hire anapplicant, the annuitant is added to thebureau’s reemployment rolls. After the annuitant’s security clearance is reactivat- ed, he or she can begin work as soon as a suitable position becomes available. Q: What’s the best approach for an annu- itant seeking aWAE appointment? A: Mostannuitantsarere-employed because theyhave vital skills and knowledgethatareneededbyabureau,they arewell known tobureaupersonnel and/or their timing is good. I would advise an annuitant to make preliminary contacts about re-employment with the bureau in which he or she is interested before retire- ment and to renew these contacts period- icallyafter applying for anappointment and while on a re-employment roll. An annu- itant can also assure immediate availabili- ty by applying for re-employment shortly beforeor after retirement andtherebykeep- ing his or her security clearance current. Q: CanaWAEemployeework fordifferent bureaus? A: Yes. Although an annuitant may get an appointment only with one dedicated bureau, he or she can work forotherbureaus. While some trans- fer accommodationsmayhave tobemade inordertomovefromonebureautoanoth- er, the annuitant’s security clearance will remain in effect. Q: DoWAE employees have job security? A: No. As part-time, temporaryor intermittent employees, WAE employeesserveatthepleasureofthebureau and do not receive evaluation reports or future job guarantees. Q: Is there a cap on earnings for WAE employees? A: Yes. The sum of an annui- tant’s salary and annuity during a calendar year cannot exceed the annui- tant’s salary at the time of retirement (with- out adjustment for inflation) or the full- time salary of the position in which he or she was reemployed, whichever is higher. In practice, this means that an annuitant canwork only for three to sixmonths per year and receive a full annuity as well as full compensation for work performed. Contractors, in contrast, are not affected by this cap. AFSAsupports current Senate efforts to expand the authority of the Secretary of State to waive annuity limi- tations on re-employed Foreign Service annuitants. ▫ FOCUS ON ELDERHOSTEL AFSA Program Educating the Public BY WARD THOMPSON, AFSA ELDERHOSTEL COORDINATOR A re you one of the many AFSA retirees (or future retirees)whoenjoy telling people about the Foreign Service? That’s an important activity, as the public needs to have a better understand- ingof diplomacy. But formanyof us, find- ing interested audiences is often difficult. AFSAhas hit on one solution—we bring the audience to you! In its eight-year col- laboration with the Elderhostel organiza- tion, AFSA has arranged 84 courses at 11 different sites throughout theU.S. towhich Americans travel for a week of lectures by Foreign Service retirees. The latest course, held in Portsmouth, N.H., in October 2003, was an outstand- ing example of this approach. The first to take place inNewEngland, home ofmany distinguished retirees who volunteered as facultymembers, theprogramtookAFSA’s outreachcooperationwithState intoanew area. Portsmouth houses both the National VisaCenter, whichdoesmuchof the immigrant visa processing formerly done by embassies, and the Passport Office, which handles all passport renew- al applications. So we called the course “Yearning to Breathe Free.” It attracted 41 participants who came from 14 states to learn about diplomacy, with a special focus onvisas, refugees andcitizens services. Lectureswerepresentedbymembers of the Foreign Affairs Retirees of New England. Ambassadors Charles Dunbar, Hermann Eilts, Roland Kuchel, Donald Petterson, Ronald Spiers and Michael Wygant treated participants to diplomat- ic case studies and insightsonregional issues involving the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Central Asia. An overview of the Foreign Service was provided by Ward Thompson and a discussion of consular functions and refugees byMatthewWard. Visa Center Director Sara Tufo, Passport Office Acting Director Leo Hession and Susan Mefel of S.I. International hosted course participants on tours and briefings at these State Department facilities. In a special evening session, participants heard about the family side of ForeignService life from Elria Ewing, Julie Petterson and Catherine and Lee Wygant. This course followedothers successful- ly inaugurated earlier in2003by colleagues inCalifornia andWashington state. There areplans toreprise them, tocontinueongo- Q & A Continud on page 9