There are many benefits to working in the federal government, but a lot of people don’t know about them due to their out-of-date systems and processes. Because of this, the government has struggled finding potential recruits and maintaining employees. In order to bridge this gap, we are striving to educate all federal employees and potential federal employees on their benefits.
If you are looking for a secure future with great benefits, then federal work may be right for you! Keep reading to learn about 9 benefits of federal service.
1. Job Security
The federal government offers job security like no other. Throughout recessions and economy crashes, the federal government is one entity that remains relatively stable. This benefit is huge during times of economic instability, like a global pandemic.
Additionally, it’s easy for a government employee to transfer to another department for a new position without losing their job. It’s not as easy for private sector employees to transfer to other job positions.
2. Sick and Annual Leave
The federal government offers generous sick and annual leave for all employees that only increases with years of service. Every federal employee accrues 4 hours per pay period of sick leave that can be used in 15-minute increments.
Federal employees with under three years of service receive 4 hours of annual leave per pay period. Employees with more than 3 but less than 15 years of service receive 6 hours for each pay period (except 10 hours in last pay period), and employees with more than 15 years of service receive 8 hours for each pay period.
Additionally, federal employees may carry up to 30 vacation days into the following year and get 11 days of paid holidays per year.
3. Health and Life Insurance
Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country through the Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) program. During open season federal employees can make elections and changes to their plans to ensure they are covered in every aspect of their life. Check out the plans available in your state.
Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) is the largest group life insurance program in the world, covering over 4 million Federal employees and retirees, as well as many of their family members. In most cases, you are automatically covered by Basic Life insurance unless you decline it.
These coverage options can allow you and your family peace of mind and financial security.
4. Retirement Annuity
As a federal employee you will be eligible for a regular retirement annuity when you hit your retirement age. A regular retirement annuity is calculated at 1% of your high-3 average for each creditable year of service. If your service equals more than 20 years, you’ll receive 1.1% of your high-3 average for each year of service.
For example, if you are a federal employee with a high-3 of $100,000 and 15 years of service, your retirement annuity would be .01(100,000(15)) = $15,000.
Additionally, special provisions federal employees receive an even higher retirement calculation thanks to the dangerous nature of their jobs.
This provides a significant amount of money in retirement that can help you live a comfortable life.
5. Thrift Savings Plan
The Thrift Savings Plan is much like a 401k in the private sector. You and your agency can contribute a certain percentage of your salary in order to grow your money for retirement.
There are many ways to invest your money in the Thrift Savings Plan and you can change your investment elections at any time. The government will match your contributions up to the first 5%. This can help you grow your retirement nest egg even faster!
6. Student Loan Repayment and Forgiveness
The federal government offers several student loan repayment and forgiveness programs to help employees pay off their loans.
The Federal Student Loan Repayment Program permits agencies to repay Federally insured student loans as a recruitment or retention incentive for candidates or current employees of the agency. You could receive up to $10,000 a year (for a lifetime maximum of $60,000) to help pay off your student loans.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness is another federal student loan debt forgiveness program for employees of certain public and nonprofit jobs, usually only available after 10 years of service.
7. Flexible Work Schedules
One of the government’s benefits is providing flexible work schedules that have become more popular and necessary in recent years due to the pandemic. Many federal agencies allow their employees to accrue their hours between set time parameters. This allows employees to work when it is best for them and creates a better work-life balance.
8. Federal Disability Retirement
One of the greatest benefits of working in the federal government is Federal Disability Retirement. This is a benefit hidden in your FERS retirement package in case a federal employee becomes disabled and is no longer able to perform all the essential duties of their position.
Federal Disability Retirement provides you with the ability to retire now, while providing you with a secure monthly annuity, creditable years of service, the option to work in the private sector, and the option to maintain your health and life insurance.
This benefit allows federal employees to retire early with a stable income and still maintain their benefits, which eases a lot of stress and allows you to focus on your health and wellbeing.
9. Serving the People
Working in the federal government allows you to serve your community, state, and country. This is a unique benefit that comes with a lot of responsibility.
As a federal employee you have the ability to help others and make a difference in the world. This is the benefit that draws in a lot of people to government work.
Working in the federal government can provide financial security, peace of mind and a chance to serve your community. Whether you are considering a job in the federal government or just needed a refresher on your benefits, you should know that government work changes the lives of so many employees and their families.
We have helped over 8,000 federal employees secure their benefits through Federal Disability Retirement. If you are struggling with a disability, schedule a free consultation with our firm today to see how we can help you.
