# Federal Employees Preserve Records Before Leaving

A federal employee considering departure for a private-sector offer after 10 years was advised to retain key personnel and payroll documents, including SF-50s, performance appraisals, recent leave and earnings statements, and training records. A commenter also raised the possibility of deferred retirement benefits at age 62 and adding service time after returning to federal employment, but those points are anecdotal and should be verified with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). For procurement teams, the departure highlights a potential workforce-continuity issue; the signal does not identify a contract, solicitation, or new procurement requirement.

- Procurement offices may want to account for departing employees’ responsibilities and preserve appropriate program and acquisition handoffs through established agency processes.
- Individuals leaving federal service should retain their own employment records and confirm retirement eligibility and service-credit questions directly with OPM rather than relying on commenter advice.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Published:** October 21, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

### Key Quotes
> Save your sf-50, appraisal, last couple LES, and keep OPM info because you can get a minimal retirement annuity at 62 i believe and if you come back you can pick up and add more time onto your retirement annuity
> — Commenter

### Sources
- [I got a private sector offer I can’t refuse, I will probably be leaving federal service after 10 years. What paperwork/house cleaning should I do?](https://www.reddit.com/r/FedEmployees/comments/1xbjfmb/i_got_a_private_sector_offer_i_cant_refuse_i_will) - reddit-fedemployees