Health Benefits

The Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan offers employees the option to participate in these types of health insurance plans: a Fee-For-Service Plan, Health Maintenance Plan, Consumer Driven Plan or High Deductible Plan. Participation in either plan is voluntary. New employees have 60 days from commencement of employment to enroll. Health insurance coverage is effective at the beginning of the following pay period in which the Human Resources Department receives the employee’s Health Insurance Election Form. The Government shares the cost of the total premium up to 75% regardless of the plan the employee selects. The health insurance plans participate in the Premium Conversion program, taking payment of health premiums on a pre-tax basis.  

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Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program

The Federal Employees Dental/Vision Insurance Program is available to an employee 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.

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Flexible Spending Account

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 set aside pre-taxed money in order to reimburse costs that are not covered by the medical, dental, or optical portion of the employee's health insurance.

 

The Limited Purpose Health Care Reimbursement Account allows to save pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision expenses for you, your spouse, or covered dependents. The LPHCRA is only available to you if you are 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 his or her spouse working or seeking employment, or the employee's spouse attending school full-time. In addition, the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account may be used to pay for the care of your children or your qualified dependents so you (and if you're married, you're spouse) can work. The money in your account may also be used to cover child care so that your spouse may attend school full-time while you work.

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Leave Act Benefits

Annual Leave/Vacation

The number of days of accrued annual leave per year are as follows:

Years of Service

Accrued Annual Leave

Less Than 3 Years

4 Hours Per Pay Period (13 Days Per Year)

3 - 15 Years

6 Hours Per Pay Period (20 Days Per Year)

15+ Years

8 Hours Per Pay Period (26 Days Per Year)

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.  

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Commuter Benefits Program

The U.S. District Court has set up this program to assist employees with the cost of commuting to and from work. Employees are able to pay for certain parking and transit expenses incurred using pre-taxed money. Employees may set up a Parking Reimbursement Account or a Mass Transit Account. Employees may set aside a maximum amount per month toward parking and transit expenses according to the Internal Revenue Code.

Life Insurance

All new employees are automatically enrolled in the Basic Option of the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program  http://opm.gov/insure/new_employ/index.asp unless the employee opts to waive insurance entitlement. If an employee waives their insurance entitlement and later decides to participate in the plan, the employee must wait until an Open Enrollment period and obtain a physical from a certified physician before becoming eligible for enrollment. The life insurance plan also offers employees the option to enroll in 3 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.

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Retirement Program

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)

All eligible employees hired after December 1983 participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System. This program is comprised of three components: Social Security Benefits, an Annuity, and the Thrift Savings Plan. The Basic Benefit and Social Security parts of FERS require an employee hired after January 1, 2014 to pay their share each pay period: 4.4% of gross pay to the Basic Benefit Plan and 6.2% to Social Security. However, there are some exceptions in which an employee would pay 0.8% or 3.1%. The rest of the FERS program is dedicated to the Thrift Savings Plan.

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.

The Government will match employee contributions immediately after the employee begins employment with the U.S. District Court and enrolls in the Thrift Savings Plan. The first 5% an employee contributes to the TSP is matched by the Government at a total of 4%. The Government will also contribute an automatic 1% to an employee's TSP account. Employees do not need to contribute any money to their TSP account to receive the automatic 1% contribution. However, these 1% contribution funds are subject to a 3 year vesting period.

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10 Federal Holidays

Each year the U.S. District Court observes a minimum of 10 paid holidays. These holidays are:

• New Years Day, January 1st
• Martin Luther King Day, 3rd Monday in January
• Washington's Birthday, 3rd Monday in February
• Memorial Day, Last Monday in May
• Independence Day, July 4th
• Labor Day, 1st Monday in September
• Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October
• Veterans Day, November 11th
• Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November
• Christmas Day, December 25th

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Additional Benefits

There are a few other generous programs available to employees in addition to the programs listed above. Employees enter these other programs as private consumers. These benefits include:

• Long Term Care Insurance
• Opportunity to join the Credit Union
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Child Care Facilities
• Health Club Membership
• Employee Assistance Program
• Occupational Health Center
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

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Transit Voucher

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

Please contact Human Resources for any questions at (312) 435-5599.