SALARY AND BENEFITS

As a legislative branch organization within the Library of Congress, CRS adheres to the federal government's pay and benefits programs. Benefits available to permanent CRS employees include:

Salaries

CRS salaries follow the standard federal government "GS" pay scale. Employees are normally paid every two weeks. Salaries are based on a 40-hour work week, although alternative schedules (e.g., flextime, compressed week) are available for most positions.

Annual and Sick Leave

As federal employees, CRS staff earn 13 days of annual (vacation) leave per year. Once employees have three years of federal service, the amount of annual leave increases to 20 days per year. Employees with 15 years of federal service earn 26 days of annual leave per year. Employees typically are allowed to carry a maximum of 30 days of annual leave from one leave year to the next.

Sick leave is accrued at the rate of 13 days per year. Unlimited hours of sick leave may be accumulated and carried over to succeeding years. Sick leave can be used for personal illness, care of sick family members, maternity leave or adoption, and medical appointments.

CRS also participates in a federal family-friendly leave sharing program which allows coworkers to voluntarily transfer some of their annual leave to specific coworkers or to a leave bank to assist coworkers in dealing with a personal or family medical emergency. In addition, CRS employees are covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which ensures that up to 12 weeks per year of unpaid family and medical leave are available on a gender-neutral basis and mandates job security for employees who take such leave.

In addition to annual and sick leave, CRS employees are entitled to ten paid holidays each year.

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)

FEHB offers Federal employees and eligible family members a wide selection of health benefits plans. The cost of FEHB premiums is shared by the enrollees (through payroll deduction) and the Library. Coverage is immediate and is provided without a medical examination or restrictions due to age, current health, or pre-existing medical condition. These health plans provide catastrophic protection against unusually large medical bills. There is also an annual opportunity, during Open Season, to enroll in a health benefits plan at a later time or, if enrolled, to select another plan.

Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Plan (FEGLI)

This group plan offers basic life insurance coverage equal to an employee's actual rate of annual basic pay (rounded to the next $1,000) plus $2,000 or $10,000, whichever is greater. The Library pays one-third of the cost of this coverage. There is an extra benefit of double life insurance benefits for employees until age 36, decreasing at 10% per year until age 45, at which time the extra coverage will end. Coverage under FEGLI does not require a medical examination and offers low rates and the convenience of payment through payroll deduction. Additional insurance is available, at full cost, for enrollees and family members.

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan which includes Social Security benefits, a Basic Benefit Plan, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). An employee pays full Social Security taxes and a small contribution to the Basic Benefit Plan, and the Library contributes an amount equal to 1% of each employee's pay into a Thrift Savings Plan account. Newly hired employees can elect to make tax-deferred contributions of up to 11% of basic pay with the Library making up to 5% matching contributions into one or all of five investment funds; a government securities fund, a common stock index fund, a fixed income index fund, a small capitalization fund, and an international stock fund. An employee pays current Federal and usually State income taxes on his or her salary only after contributions to the retirement plan have been deducted. In addition, earnings in each TSP account grow tax free until they are withdrawn. Current Federal employees who are already members of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) will continue their participation in this program.

Learning and Development

Staff participation in professional development and training activities is strongly encouraged. All new CRS analysts participate in a core curriculum of courses that includes training in legislative procedure, the budget and appropriations process, writing and critical thinking, oral presentations, and media relations. Numerous other opportunities for professional development and training are also available, both internally through CRS and the Library of Congress Internal University, and externally through private vendors. CRS also supports staff attendance and participation in seminars, conferences, and symposia sponsored by various professional associations and membership organizations.

Long Term Care Insurance

Effective, October 2002, CRS employees will be eligible for long term care insurance as part of a new federal program sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The insurance is intended to help employees pay for long term care services in the event of an extended illness or injury or an age-related disease. The insurance provides broad, flexible benefits for nursing home care, care in an assisted living facility, in-home care, adult day care, hospice care, etc. The insurance is also available to certain family members of employees. Additional information on this new benefit is available on the OPM website at www.opm.gov/insure/ltc.

Transit Subsidies

CRS offers a transit-fare subsidy to encourage the use of public mass transportation while commuting to and from work. Qualified employees are provided with a monthly benefit which can be applied to the Washington DC subway and bus (Metro) systems, Maryland and Virginia commuter trains, county and commercial commuter buses, and qualified commercial van pools. The current transit fare subsidy is $100 per month.

Child Care Center

The Library of Congress operates a "Little Scholars" child development center for children ages 3 months to 5 years. The center's facilities are located just blocks from the Library, and first priority for enrollment is given to children of Library of Congress employees.

Health Services

The Library of Congress sponsors an employee health and wellness center for Library employees. The center provides a wide range of health programs and services, including acute emergency response, evaluations and basic treatment of on the job illness or injury, medical referrals and case management, health promotion and education, and medical surveillance. The Library also offers an Employee Assistance Program to help with family, financial, marital, alcohol and substance abuse concerns.

Credit Union

Library of Congress employees are eligible for membership in the Library of Congress Federal Credit Union (LCFCU). Located within the Library's Madison Building, the LCFCU offers a range of financial products and services, including savings and investments, checking, loans, special purpose accounts for children and seniors, and other convenience services.

Book-borrowing Privileges

All Library of Congress employees have borrowing privileges from the Library's general collections. Employees also have access to the Library's Reading Rooms and its many events and exhibits.

Location

Located directly across the street from the U.S. Capitol, CRS is just minutes away from the House and Senate congressional office buildings, the Supreme Court, the National Mall, the Smithsonian, Union Station, and all modes of public transportation.

Last Update: January 30, 2004