Q: I am currently on military leave without pay from the U.S. Postal Service and have been on active duty with the Air Force for about 12 months. When I was with the USPS, I was contributing 5 percent to the Thrift Savings Plan and receiving the available agency matching funds. During my period of active duty, I have been contributing 10 percent to the TSP with no matching funds.
What are the rules or regulations with regards to agency matching funds upon my return to the USPS? Specifically, would I be eligible for any agency matching contributions during the military LWOP period? Could you please also cite the publication or reference that would address this?
A: Depending upon your circumstances, you may be able to make up some or all of your civilian TSP contributions and receive corresponding matching contributions on those deposits. See this fact sheet at the official Thrift Savings Plan website for more details.