Health Benefits

The Health Benefits Plan offers employees the option to participate in their choice of health insurance plan: a Fee-For-Service Plan, Health Maintenance Plan, Consumer Driven Plan, or High Deductible Plan. Participation in a plan is voluntary. The Government shares the cost of the total premium up to 75% regardless of the plan the employee selects. Premiums for enrollees are deducted on a pre-tax basis.

Dental and Vision Insurance Program

The Dental/Vision Insurance Program is available to employees and eligible family members on an enrollee-pay-all basis. This program allows dental and vision insurance to be purchased on a group basis, which means competitive premiums and no pre-existing condition limitations. Premiums for enrollees are deducted on a pre-tax basis.

Retirement Program

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) is a retirement plan that provides benefits from three different sources: a Basic Benefit Plan (Annuity), Social Security and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). After you retire, you receive annuity payments from the Basic Benefit plan each month for the rest of your life in addition to Social Security payments.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

The Thrift Savings Plan is similar to the private sector's 401(k) plan in that it allows all eligible federal employees to participate in this defined contribution retirement savings and investment plan. It also offers savings and tax benefits. Employees may enroll in the Thrift Savings Plan immediately upon joining the U.S. District Court.

As a FERS participant, an employee receives matching contributions on the first 5% of pay that is contributed each pay period into their TSP account. The first 3% of pay contributed will be matched dollar-for- dollar; the next 2% will be matched at 50 cents on the dollar. Combined with the government's automatic 1% contribution, an employee can receive 5% in matching contributions for their TSP contributions.

Annual and Sick Leave

Annual Leave/Vacation

Sick Leave

Every full-time employee receives 4 hours of accrued paid sick leave per pay period regardless of the number of years they have worked for a federal agency.

Paid Parental Leave

The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act provides 12 administrative workweeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child for employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions. Paid parental leave is substituted for unpaid FMLA leave and is available only during the 12-month period following the birth or placement.

Child Care Facilities

Agreements are held with two child care facilities located in the loop in Chicago, Illinois at a discounted rate. For more information please visit our website.

Flexible Spending Accounts

The Flexible Spending Account program offers deputy clerks a simple and convenient solution for paying out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. This account consists of the Health Care Reimbursement Account, the Limited Purpose Health Care Reimbursement Account, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.

The Health Care Reimbursement Account is used to reimburse costs that are not covered by the medical, dental, or optical portion of the employee's health insurance for themselves, their spouse, or their covered dependents.

The Limited Purpose Health Care Reimbursement Account allows participants to pay for eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision expenses for themselves, their spouse, or their covered dependents. This account is only available to those individuals enrolled in a high deductible health plan.

The Dependent Care Reimbursement Account is generally used to cover dependent care expenses incurred as a result of the employee and spouse working or seeking employment, or attending school full-time.

Life Insurance

All new employees are automatically enrolled in the Basic Option of the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. The life insurance plan also offers employees the option to enroll in three additional levels beyond the Basic level: Standard, Additional, and Family. The Government pays one third of the cost of the employee's Basic term life insurance.

The Standard level provides an additional $10,000 worth of coverage.

The Additional coverage provides life insurance coverage equal to one, two, three, four, or five times the deputy clerk's annual salary.

The Family coverage insures the lives of your spouse and eligible children. It comes in one, two, three, four, or five multiples of coverage. Each multiple is equal to $5,000 for a spouse and $2,500 for each eligible dependent child.

Commuter Benefits Program

Employees are able to pay for certain parking and transit expenses incurred using pre-tax dollars. Employees may set aside a maximum amount per month toward parking and transit expenses according to the Internal Revenue Code.

The Commuter Parking Reimbursement Account allows to set aside money on a pre-tax basis for certain parking expenses incurred while commuting to and from work.

The Mass Transit Account allows to set aside money on a pre-tax basis for certain mass transit expenses incurred while commuting to and from work.

At the end of each month, budget permitting, U.S. District Court employees receive a transit subsidy card.

Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is provided to all federal employees. EAP is a professional counseling and referral service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Counselors can assist regarding any issue or problem that may arise, including emotional, marital, family, alcohol or drug use, job problems, or financial problems.

Health Club Membership

Membership to onsite health clubs are available.

Public Service Loans Forgiveness Program

Under the Student Loan Forgiveness Program, borrowers may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on their eligible federal student loans after they have made 120 payments on those loans under certain repayment plans while employed full time by certain public service employers (including the judicial branch).

11 Federal Holidays

For questions, please contact Human_Resources_ILND@ilnd.uscourts.gov.