SEC Federal Benefits

As a Federal worker, you will have generous vacation and holiday leave, retirement benefits and health benefits.

Annual Leave

Employees earn vacation or annual leave based on the length of their Federal Service:

Up to 30 days of annual leave may be accumulated and carried over for use in future years. In addition, for those employees with military service, years of military service are added to years of civilian service for purposes of leave accrual.

Sick Leave

Regardless of length of service, employees can earn 13 days of sick leave each year. Unused sick leave accumulates indefinitely.

Paid Holidays

Federal employees receive 10 paid holidays each year:

New Years Day
Martin Luther King's birthday
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans' Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

Health Care Coverage

Employees and their families can enroll in one of many health insurance plans with part of the cost paid by the government. Plans include traditional fee-for-service plans and prepaid plans (Comprehensive Medical Plans and Health Maintenance Organizations). In addition, Federal employees are covered by Medicare.

Life Insurance

Employees may purchase life insurance coverage with part of the cost paid by the Federal government. Face value of the insurance is based on the employee's salary, and coverage includes payment for loss of limbs and eyesight and accidental death. Additional insurance is optional and available to each employee.

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

FERS is a three part retirement plan: social security, basic annuity, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Employees pay full social security taxes and a small contribution to the basic annuity. In addition, employees may make tax-deferred contributions to the TSP, and a portion is matched by the government. FERS has many features that are portable, so that if the employee leaves the Federal government, the employee may still qualify for the benefits.

FERS participants are eligible to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a retirement savings and investment plan.

http://www.sec.gov/jobs/jobs_benefits.shtml