Before You Leave...You Are Still A 
Government Employee!
The most important thing for you to remember before you leave is that you are still a Government employee until the day after you leave federal service. This means that you are still subject to federal conflict of interest laws and implementing regulations, the Hatch Act, and (because of the level of your appointment) the STOCK (Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge) Act.
Whether you are seeking another job, negotiating for another job, accepted the another job and announced that you are leaving, or just going to retire, remember that you are still here and a Government employee. You have to be very careful not to violate the law before you go.
