Benefits

Pay Table
View a PDF version of the 2012 Salary Table for Federal employees. This salary table applies to GPO professional/administrative positions. The Public Printer has authority to set wages for employees at the GPO. At the present time, professional/administrative pay matches that provided to Federal employees throughout the Government. Wages for employees in the crafts/trade areas are competitive with salaries for similar positions in the metro DC area.

Health Benefits
The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program helps protect employees and eligible family members from the expenses of illness and accident. It is a voluntary program and an employee has 60 days from the date of an appointment to enroll in any plan or waive coverage.

There are three basic types of health benefit plans available
fee-for-service,
HMOs, and
point of service

The Government and the employee share the cost of enrollment. Premiums and coverage are adjusted annually. There is an annual opportunity (open season) to make changes in enrollment. For more comprehensive information, visit the OPM website on Health Benefits

Flexible Spending Accounts
A flexible spending account (FSA) is a program for Federal employees that can save you money on health and dependent care. An FSA allows you to set funds aside before taxes to pay for a wide range of common expenses. You can save by reducing your taxes and getting a discount of 20-40% while paying for the care you need.

Flexible Spending Accounts
Long term care insurance helps defray the costs of when you need assistance. It also includes the kind of care needed for severe cognitive impairment like Alzheimer's. It covers skilled, intermediate and custodial care in the home, an adult day care center, an assisted living facility, a nursing home, or a hospice facility. Some plans such as the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program also cover home care from informal providers. For more detailed information on Long Term Care you can go to OPM's Long Term Care Site.

Group Life Insurance
Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) offers Federal employees an opportunity to participate in a group plan that offers low rates and the convenience of payment through payroll deduction. FEGLI is term insurance. Participation is voluntary; however, an employee is automatically covered for Basic Life unless the coverage is waived. The Government pays one-third of the cost of the Basic Life Insurance. Basic Insurance equals the greater of $10,000 or the actual rate of annual basic pay (rounded up to the next $1,000) plus $2,000. Accidental death and dismemberment benefits are a feature of basic life for employees. There is also an extra benefit for employees under age 45.

Three insurance options are available to employees with Basic coverage:
Option A - additional coverage of $10,000;
Option B - additional coverage up to five times your rate of pay; and
Option C - Family coverage ($5,000 for spouse and $2,500 for each eligible dependent child).

For more comprehensive information, visit the OPM website on Life Insurance.

CSRS/FERS Retirement
Prior to 1984, the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) was the civilian retirement system for most Federal employees. The retirement annuity formula for CSRS is roughly 2% for each year of service times your high-3 (an average of your highest three consecutive earning years).

The Social Security Amendments Act of 1983 required newly hired or rehired (with more than a one-year break in federal service covered by CSRS) employees may be covered by social security. On 1 January 1987, the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) became effective. The FERS system is a three tiered system: a basic government pension that is approximately 1% for each year of service times your high-3 average salary; a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which provides employees with a pre-tax savings plan; and complete coverage under the Social Security system.

Most new employees today are covered by the FERS retirement system. For more comprehensive information, visit the OPM website on Retirement.

Thrift Savings Plan
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) The TSP offers:

• before tax savings and tax deferred investment earnings low administrative and investment expenses
• a choice of five individual investment funds and five lifecycle funds
• interfund transfers
• an attractive loan program
• a choice of withdrawal options

The TSP is a contribution plan. Contributions include those made by the employee and any matching contributions made by the agency. The retirement income received will depend upon how much is contributed to your account during your working years and the earnings on those contributions. Contributions made to the TSP account are voluntary and separate from contributions to the FERS or CSRS annuity. Newly hired employees must wait a certain period of time before they become eligible to participate in TSP. There are two open seasons held each year: May 15 - July 31 and November 15 - January 31.

TSP is an integral part of FERS employee retirement package. FERS participants can contribute up to the IRS limits on regular and catch-up contributions, which are $16,500 and $5,500 respectively for 2009. FERS employees are also entitled to receive Agency contributions. Once a FERS employee is eligible to participate in TSP, the Agency contributes an amount equal to 1% of basic pay each pay period. When FERS employees begin contributing to their TSP account, the Agency makes matching contributions that apply to the first 5% of pay each pay period. Your contributions are matched dollar for dollar for the first 3% and 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2%.

Although CSRS employees do not receive Agency matching or 1% contributions, they may contribute a portion of their basic pay to the TSP. For more comprehensive information, visit the TSP web page.

Student Loan Repayment Program
The Government Printing Office participates in the Federal Student Loan Repayment Program. The program offers a written agreement between the GPO and an employee under which the employee agrees to a specified period of employment of not less than 3 years in return for payments toward a student loan previously obtained by the employee. As of January 1, 2004 the GPO will pay $10,000 per year, which is taxable money. After the first three years the employee may then sign on for one year at a time, up to $60,000 in his or her lifetime. The Student Loan Repayment benefit will be available for the recruitment of candidates with special skills into positions that are difficult to fill.

Work Schedules
Hours of Work: The majority of employees have regularly scheduled workdays of 8 hours, totaling 80 hours in a pay period, and a half-hour unpaid lunch period. Pay periods are 14 days, beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday.

Alternative Work Schedules (AWS): Most Printing Office Grade (PG) employees may be permitted to work a gliding work schedule or a compressed work schedule. The glide allows some flexibility in the daily arrival time, and the compressed allows an employee to fulfill the 80-hour work requirement in less than 10 workdays.

Overtime Pay: In most cases, any work beyond 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week is overtime paid at "time and a half," that is, base pay plus 50 percent. An employee must work overtime when ordered by the supervisor.

Holidays/Leave
Federal Holidays: There are 10 Federal holidays each calendar year.

Annual Leave: Full-time employees generally earn 4 hours of annual leave each pay period, or 13 days a year, during the first 3 years of Federal service, 6 hours or 20 days for between 3 and 15 years of service, and 8 hours or 26 days for more than 15 years. Part-time and intermittent employees earn leave in proportion to their number of hours worked.

Sick Leave: Full-time employees accrue 4 hours of sick leave each pay period, or 13 days a year during each year of Federal Service. Unused sick leave may be accumulated without limit.

Mass Transit Subsidy
MetroCheck Program (Metro Cards): The GPO offers free fare cards valued at up to $115/month that are available to all employees who are eligible for a transit subsidy. Fare cards are for mass transit, such as, Metro, MARC, VRE, or a qualifying vanpool. GPO was recognized as one of Greater Washington DC Region's Best Workplaces for Commuters, which includes employers that are committed to improving quality of life for their employees while reducing commuting costs, traffic congestion, and air pollution.

Parking Lots: The biweekly rate to park in a GPO Lot is low cost. The GPO has several parking lots located in proximity to the buildings.

GPO's Work/Life Programs

GPO's Employee Health and Occupational Resources

Employee Assistance Branch - aids employees with any personal or job-related problem

Fire Protection - responsible for fire prevention and emergency preparedness

Industrial Hygiene - devises engineering controls in the work area so hazardous agents or materials are confined or otherwise kept away from employees

Medical - provides medical care for employees who become injured or ill while at work, as well as a broad range of preventive medicine services

Safety & Health Committees - GPO management and the unions have jointly established committees to monitor safety and health conditions

Environmental Programs - this program ensures that the Agency and its employees conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner that complies with applicable laws and regulations

Health Promotion Programs - Health and wellness services and programs include:

GPO's Federal Credit Union (GPOFCU)
All GPO employees are eligible to enroll in the GPOFCU. Unlike other financial institutions, credit unions are owned by the people who do business with them. Credit unions are not-for-profit and there are no outside stockholders. That means all excess profits are returned to the members in the form of higher savings rates, lower loan rates and lower fees for services than most other financial institutions. Credit unions are well noted for the high level of service provided to their members. GPOFCU offers a wide variety of services. From savings and investments, to virtually every type of loan, the Credit Union is a great place to take care of most financial needs. And, access to accounts is available through ATMs, direct deposit, audio response.