HHS Emerging Leaders Program
"An opportunity for personal growth and development"
DHHS Civil Service Benefits
INTRODUCTION
 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) offers a competitive benefits package to its employees. These benefits are for the purpose of maintaining our employee's health, morale, and efficiency at a very high level. DHHS offers paid leave, a portable retirement plan, health and wellness services, and subsidized health and life insurance plans.
PAID LEAVE
Annual leave is granted for vacations, rest, and other personal reasons. Sick leave is available for use when an employee is ill and a limited amount can be used when an employee's family member is ill or needs to visit a doctor, dentist, or other health care provider for examination or treatment. Leave is also permitted for military and voting purposes as well as for jury service and witness duty under certain conditions.
Annual Leave
Annual leave accumulates to an employee's credit on a graduated basis according to the length of his or her federal government service (civilian and military). Full-time employees accrue annual leave as follows:
TOTAL SERVICE |
EVERY TWO WEEKS |
PER YEAR |
0-3 Years |
4 Hours |
13 Days |
3-15 Years |
6 Hours |
20 Days |
15 Years and Over |
8 Hours |
26 Days |
Sick Leave
Full-time employees can earn sick leave at the rate of 4 hours every two weeks or 13 days a year.
Paid Holidays
The federal government recognizes ten holidays each year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
HEALTH AND LIFE INSURANCE
One of the major benefits of federal employment is the opportunity to enroll in the federal health and life insurance benefits programs. Not only do employees contribute to these programs, but as the employer, the federal government also pays a significant share. Also, premiums paid by employees are tax free.
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)
The FEHBP gives all permanent DHHS employees the opportunity to enroll in an approved group health benefits plan, regardless of age or medical condition. Employees may choose from a variety of fee for service and HMO plans. The government pays approximately 72% of the cost and the employee's portion is paid through payroll deduction. Employees have the opportunity to cover themselves, their spouses and their unmarried dependent children under age 22.
Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)
All DHHS employees are covered under FEGLI Basic Life Insurance unless waived. The amount of coverage under the Basic Life Insurance is equal to an employee's annual basic pay (rounded to the next $1,000) plus $2,000. The government pays approximately 1/3 of the premium for the Basic Life Insurance and the remaining 2/3 is withheld from the employee's salary by payroll deduction. Optional coverage under FEGLI is available; however, the employee must pay all of the premiums.
RETIREMENT
All employees hired into the executive branch service after 1983 are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered plan consisting of a basic annuity benefit, the Thrift Savings Plan, and Social Security.
Once an employee has worked for the federal government for five years, he or she becomes eligible for retirement benefits (an annuity to be paid monthly upon eligibility). To retire the employee must have worked for a certain number of years (service requirement) and have reached a certain age (age requirement). Service and age requirements vary. Upon completion of five years of civilian service, any prior creditable military service can be counted towards the service requirement provided a deposit is made for the military service and, in the case of a retired military serviceman, the waiver of the military retired pension.
Basic Annuity Benefit
A basic annuity benefit is payable when an employee retires from the government and is based strictly on the length of the employee's federal service and the average of the highest three years of salary earned. Generally, an employee needs at least five years of federal civilian employment to qualify for a future basic annuity benefit. If an employee reaches the minimum retirement age (between 55 and 57, depending upon when the employee was born) and has at least 10 years of creditable service, the employee may retire and begin receiving the basic annuity benefit immediately. This benefit is reduced if the employee retires under the age of 62 unless he or she retires (1) with 20 years of service at age 60, (2) with 30 years of service at the minimum retirement age, or (3) following an involuntary separation through no fault of the employee after completing 25 years of service (or 20 years if at least 50). An employee is also entitled to a basic annuity benefit at any age if approved for disability retirement (some restrictions apply).
Social Security
All new employees are automatically covered by the Social Security System. An employee may apply for regular Social Security benefits as early as age 62. Disability Social Security benefits are conditionally available at any age.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
TSP is a tax-deferred retirement savings and investment plan similar to many 401(K) plans offered in the private sector. Employees covered by FERS are able to contribute any amount up to 10 percent of their salary into the TSP. Unlike regular retirement and Social Security withholdings, income taxes are not paid on TSP contributions when they are made; instead TSP benefits under retirement are fully taxable when withdrawn.
All employees covered by FERS can contribute up to 10 percent of their salary into the TSP (IRS deposit maximums apply). Upon becoming eligible to participate, DHHS automatically contributes an amount equal to one percent of an employee's salary to the TSP, even if the employee chooses to contribute nothing. In addition, DHHS matches each employee contribution dollar for dollar on the first 3 percent contributed and 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2 percent.
All contributions to an employee's TSP account earn interest and may be divided among three funds (a bond-based fund, a stock-based fund, small business capitalization fund, international stock index fund, and a government securities fund). Employees also have the opportunity to borrow against their TSP contributions.
Should an employee leave the government prior to qualifying for immediate retirement, he or she may either (1) ask for a refund of his or her account balance, (2) leave the contributions in his or her account and allow the account to earn interest, or (3) roll over the account balance to an eligible IRA or other qualifying retirement plan.
Additional Leave Programs
- Family Medical Leave Act- Employees with one year of service are entitled to 12 workweeks of leave without pay (can substitute paid leave as appropriate) in a 12 month period for a serious health condition of the employee, spouse, child, or parent, or care for a newborn, adopted, or foster child.
- Sick Leave to Care for a Family Member- Allows use of 40 hours of sick leave (plus 64 additional hours if 80 hour balance is maintained) to care for a family member (parents, spouses and their parents, children, siblings and their spouses, and any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship) or to make arrangements or attend the funeral of a family member (as described above). Employees are entitled to use a total of up to 12 weeks of sick leave in a leave year to care for a family member with a serious health condition. A balance of 80 hours sick leave must be maintained.
- Voluntary Leave Transfer Program- Allows the transfer of unused accrued annual leave to employees who need leave due to a medical emergency of either the employee or a family member (as described above). A qualifying medical emergency is one in which it is expected that the employee will be absent from duty without available leave for at least three days. Specific criteria must be met to participate as a leave recipient.
- Sick Leave for Adoption- Sick leave may be used to cover absences relating to adopting a child. Appointments with adoption agencies, court proceedings, required related travel, and medical appointments may be covered by sick leave.
- Organ and Bone Marrow Donation- Employees who choose to be an organ donor are entitled to 30 days of paid leave each calendar year. Also available is 7 days of paid leave for bone marrow donors.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The EAP provides cost-free confidential counseling for employees who may be facing personal or work-related problems.
Alternative Work Schedules (AWS)
AWS consists of flexible and compressed schedules. Flexible schedules allow employees to choose a set tour of duty or to vary their daily arrival and departure times within the established flexible band (Flexitime). Compressed schedules, frequently called 4/10 or 5-4/9, allow employees to increase the number of work hours per day, thereby allowing a day off weekly or biweekly depending on the schedule selected. Participation is subject to supervisory approval.
Tran Share
This transit subsidy program reimburses employees up to $100 per month for using public transportation more than 50% of the time for the daily commute to and/or from work. The program goals are to increase the number of employees who use public transportation and to reduce the use of automobiles for employee commuting.
The Federal government is an equal opportunity employer.
Last revised: December 1, 2003
|
