Benefits
The federal government not only offers opportunities for people to make a difference in their world, it also encourages a healthy work-life balance and offers excellent benefits. Here is a closer look at what the federal government has to offer:
- Student Loan Repayment
Federal agencies may offer student loan repayment of up to $10,000 per calendar year, with an overall cap of $60,000 per eligible employee. To receive this benefit, the recipient must commit to work for the agency for at least three years.
- Great Health Coverage
The federal government offers one of the widest selections of health insurance plans anywhere, and most of the cost is covered by the government. It also offers great deals on life insurance and long-term care insurance.
- Flexible Work Schedules
Work schedules that allow employees to choose their time of arrival and departure are available to most federal workers, regardless of agency or position, but must be approved by supervisors or managers. Another option: a compressed work schedule that lets full-time employees complete their basic 80-hour biweekly work requirement in fewer than 10 workdays. For many federal government employees, this means every other Friday off.
- Family-Friendly Vacation and Leave Policies
The federal government offers generous holiday and leave policies. Full-time federal workers get 10 paid holidays annually, from 13-26 days of vacation each year depending on years of service, and 13 days of sick leave. Other leave programs – ranging from leave sharing to time off for medical conditions and family responsibilities – are also available.
- Child-Care Programs
More than 200 federal agencies sponsor on-site child-care centers for their employees. One such program, the Department of Defense Child Care System, provides child care for over 200,000 children through 800 Child Development Centers, family child-care homes and school-age care programs.
- Generous Retirement Benefits
The Thrift Savings Plan is the government’s 401(k) retirement plan in which agencies match up to five percent of your salary. This is part of a generous three-tiered retirement system which also includes Social Security benefits and a fixed-amount pension.
- Transportation Assistance
Federal agencies offer subsidies for mass transit where appropriate, and many also enable you to telecommute from your own home.
The Best Places to Work rankings — the most comprehensive and authoritative rating of employee engagement in the federal government — are produced by the Partnership for Public Service and American University’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation (ISPPI).
