A Service Computation Date (SCD) plays a pivotal role in shaping a federal employee’s access to various benefits and programs. How it’s calculated depends on the specific benefit in question. Federal employees juggle four unique SCDs. Let’s break them down.
- Leave
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
- Reduction in Force (RIF)
- Retirement
Leave SCD
The Leave SCD determines how much annual leave you accrue each pay period—either four, six, or eight hours. You’ll find this noted in block #31 of your Standard Form (SF) 50. It factors in most military service (except for military retirees, regardless of whether they’ve paid the military deposit) alongside your civilian service.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) SCD
The TSP SCD marks the point when Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) participants become vested in their Thrift Savings Plan. Vesting means you’re eligible to keep the Agency Automatic (1%) Contributions (and their earnings) after hitting a service milestone. For most FERS employees, this happens after three years of federal service.
Reduction in Force (RIF) SCD
The RIF SCD is one of four elements that decide your standing during a Reduction in Force at your agency. It combines all creditable civilian and military service, then tacks on extra credit (up to 20 years max) based on your performance evaluations. This “adjusted” RIF-SCD appears on the retention register and in any RIF notice you receive.
Retirement SCD
The Retirement SCD tracks the service that counts toward your eligibility for retirement. It’s typically pegged to your first federal appointment under FERS. In most cases, it matches your Leave SCD—unless you’re a military retiree, in which case you should double-check with your HR office.
This date is key to figuring out when you can retire, but it doesn’t include sick leave. While sick leave boosts your annuity calculation, it doesn’t affect eligibility. Service that might tweak your Retirement SCD but won’t count toward retirement includes:
- Excessive leave without pay (LWOP)
- Federal service with an unpaid deposit
- Temporary service after 1989 (FERS only)
- Gaps in federal service exceeding three days
- Military service with an unpaid deposit
The Retirement SCD is one of two critical pieces that dictate both your retirement timeline and the size of your FERS annuity. It’s a smart move to confirm this date with your personnel office.
For personalized insight into your federal benefits, book a free session with a Federal Retirement Consultant®. They’ll guide you through the maze of details with ease.
