DOD Portability of Benefits

DCPAS provides DOD policy and guidance implementing portability of benefits laws and regulations governing employee moves between the civil service and DOD Nonappropriated Fund (NAF) employment systems. DCPAS also provides advisory assistance to DOD Component Human Resources Office staff on portability issues that may occur when an employee moves between the two systems. These issues include documenting portability of benefits when processing separations and appointments, determining whether service is creditable for purposes such as leave accrual, offering and implementing retirement system coverage elections, and processing retirements for employees who elected to remain in the previous employment system's retirement plan.

Under portability law and regulation, employees who move with a break in service of no more than three days between DOD NAF and DOD civil service positions may be eligible for pay, leave, and reduction-in-force benefit protection. Employees moving between retirement-covered DOD NAF positions and Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employees Retirement System-covered civil service positions in any agency, with a break in service of no more than one year, may be eligible to continue coverage in the retirement plan that covered them immediately before the move. Use the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Merged Records Personnel Folder below to retain the records of employees who qualify for portability of benefits, as well as electronic official personnel folders.

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