Speaking of vacation....feds get paid out depending on their job. Doctors in the VA which includes physicians, dentists, optometrists, and podiatrists can get paid out up to 688 hours. My payout of unused vacation carried me into February this year while they were finalizing my pension which finally got settled with back pay this month. Normally they give you about 75% until finalization but mine was 30% until they confirmed I bought out my ex wife’s claims to any payments and she was not entitled to anything. (I bought her out in 2010)