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PART IV.
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ;5
Response D
The generic definition of employee benefits is: 1) any kind of
compensation in a form other than direct wages, and 2) paid in
whole or in part by the employer.
The first question in this Part (Question 15) asks each agency
to focus attention on why they provide employee benefits to their
workers at all. It lists a number of purposes or objectives that
employers might have with respect to providing a collection of
benefits to employees over and above paying for the work they do,
and it asks each agency to indicate which of the statements
represent the reasons behind the agency's employment benefits.
The second question in this Part (Question 16) requests
information on the particular employment benefits the agency
provides for its workers. For Federal employees generally, there
is a standard package of employment benefits, embracing paid leave,
health insurance, life insurance, and retirement annuities. NAPA
assumes that employees of the intelligence community receive the
same package of benefits as other Federal employees, but asks
whether there are points on which the benefits of these agencies
differ from those of the other agencies of the Federal Government.
If so, NAPA asks for some details about the points of difference.
The third question in this Part (Question 17) asks about
benefits that may be available to agency employees beyond the
standard packages, and the last question (Question 18) asks for an
opinion about the adequacy of the current package of benefits.
NAPA requests that all agencies involved in the study respond
to the questions in this Part of the inquiry.
Question 15. Purposes and Objectives of Employment Benefits:
Virtually all progressive, responsible employers
provide to their employees a package of employment
benefits above and beyond pay for work performed.
When employers are asked why they do this, or what
they expect to gain from it, they offer a variety of
reasons. Some of the most prominent objectives of
employers in providing benefits are listed below.
Please consider the degree to which these statements
represent the purposes of the agency in providing a
package of employment benefits to employees and check
off those statements that best describe the agency's
objectives -- or, if none of the statements on the
list is appropriate, provide a statement of the
agency's objectives. (If the agency has already made
a declaration of its objectives, purposes, or policies
with respect to employment benefits, please send a
copy.)
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/7 1. To promote the economic security of employees (and
their families) in areas they could not provide
for out of their earnings alone.
/7 2. Because other employers provide benefits to their
employees, the agency has to provide similar
benefits in order to be competitive in the labor
markets that supply the kinds of people the agency
needs.
3. To comply with laws that require employers to
provide certain benefits to employees, e.g.
Medicare, Workmen's Compensation.
/-7 4. To cement the relationship between the agency and
employees over time, to secure organizational
loyalty and a long-term employment commitment, to
make a "contract" between employer and employees.
/7
5. To pool resources to protect employees from the
financial impact of potentially catastrophic
events (illness, disability, death) by sharing the
risks and costs among a larger group.
/x/ 6. To enable the workforce as a whole to cope
collectively and cooperatively with events beyond
the capacity of individual employees, both during
their working years and after.
/7 7. Social responsibility of the employer -- to keep
employees from becoming a burden on the community,
both during their working years and their
retirement years.
/7
8. To make it possible for employees to maintain in
later life the standard of living they have
achieved during their working years.
/x/ 9. To enabie older workers to leave the workforce,
thereby making way for younger workers to move up
the career ladder and also opening jobs at the
intake levels for new workers with fresh views and
recent training -- a process of continual renewal
of the vitality of the workforce as a whole.
10. Other purposes: FBI-provided Employee Benefits are
primarily determined by, and limited to,those benefits
provided by the Federal Government and authorized by the
Congress ( 5 U.S.C., Chapters 83 and 84). -
Question 16. Employment Benefits: This question asks agencies to
respond only if the catalogue of employment benefits
they provide to their employees differs from the
package provided to Federal employees generally, and,
if so, to describe only the key differences.
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Federal employees generally get periods of time off
with full pay: annual leave, sick leave, time off on
national holidays, military leave, jury duty leave,
and administrative leave in the event of emergencies
that make it impossible for workers to do any work,
e.g., natural disasters, severe storms, or building
shut-downs. If the agency's leave provisions differ
from the rest of the Government, please describe the
differences. NONE
Federal employees are entitled to Workmen's
Compensation, which provides for continuation of
income during periods of disability related to injury
on the job. If employees of the agency are not able
to claim workmen's compensation, or if their benefits
differ from other Federal employess, please describe
the differences. NONE
Through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
(FEHB), Federal employees can obtain either health
insurance or prepaid health care in a health
maintenance organization, for the employee and
dependents, with costs shared by the Government and
the employee. Through Medicare, they can obtain
health care support after age 65; and costs are shared
by the Government and the employee. If the agency
does not provide these benefits, or if the agency
programs differ markedly from the Government norm
(e.g., agency pays larger share of costs, or benefits
exceed or fall short of those of other agencies),
please describe the differences. NONE
Through the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance
Plan (FEBLI), Federal employees can obtain life
insurance for themselves, including extra insurance
for accidental death or dismemberment, and can also
obtain life insurance for family members. If the
agency's life insurance offerings differ from the
plans for other Federal employees, please describe the
differences.
Federal employees other than those enrolled in FERS
may participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, with
investment by the employee only and none by the
Government. If this privilege is not available to the
agency's employees, or if the agency's provisions for
its employees are different, please indicate those
facts. NONE
RETIREMENT:
With respect to retirement plans, we request only that
you affirm the points set forth below, or correct them
if they are wrong:
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- CIA employees may be covered by CSRS, FERS, FERS
Special Category, or, in some cases, by CIARDS.
- NSA employees may be covered by CSRS or FERS.
- DIA employees, and employees of the military
intelligence services may be covered by CSRS or
FERS.
FBI employees may be covered by CSRS or FERS.
Specific Category
- State Department employees in the Foreign Service
are covered by the Foreign Service Retirement
Plan, and those in the civil service may be
covered by CSRS or FERS.
Except for CIARDS, and for the FBI's law
enforcement eligibility under CSRS or FERS, none
of these retirement plan provides routinely for
retirement at any age after 25 years of service,
or at a*ge 50 with 20 years of service. (Exception
to this rule: in the event an agency is having a
major reduction in force or a major
reorganization, the agency may get permission from
OPM to offer on a one-time basis early retirement
to employees involved.)
- In addition to paying annuities to retired
employees, all of these plans offer disability
retirement in the event of injury or illness that
makes it impossible for the employee to continue
working, and all of them offer survivor's
annuities for dependents after the death of the
employee.
If any part of our understanding outlined above is in
error, please provide correct information on that
matter. (See attached)
Question 17. Other Emplo_yment Benefits: Some additional employment
benefits are available to some Federal employees, in
some agencies, in some locations, but are not
necessarily part of the standard package available to
all Federal employees. Please indicate whether the
agency offers any of the following benefits, and if
so, to what employess, where, and under wnat
circumstances:
Counseling for alcohol, drug, financial, social, or
other problems of the employee or family that would
otherwise disrupt work or the work place. Available.to all
empldyees_. and fampy members, anywhere, at no,c0starid-Viithutmost
L-confidentiality.
Day care availabre?for?children, or for elderly
dependents, with costs paid in part by the agency.
Available to employees under the GSA Federal Day care program.
Federal Government provides space; contractors provide the staff;
Employees pay for servich GSA does not consider this an employee
benefit..
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Pre-retirement planning and counseling service. Special
pre-retirement seminars available to employees within one to two
iKI eligibilityof
17r3e: Professional Lability Insurance provided
at group rates through private carrier.
Question 18. Adequacy of Employment Benefits: This question asks
for an opinion: Are the employment benefits now
available to employees of the agency adequate or
inadequate in terms of the special needs of the agency
staff? -Please elaborate on the response -- why do you
say the benefits are adequate or inadequate, and what
are the special needs of the agency staff?
Generally speaking, employment benefits are adequate, although costly,
to FBI employees. As with all Federal employees, FBI employees are having to pay
more for their health care insurance. Moreover, their retirement plan, while for
the most part adequate, requires a substantial employee contribution. Most
employers in the private sector, and many state and local governments, either pay
all or a greater share of the costs of these benefits. Consequently, the FBI .
is at a disadvantage in this area when recruiting applicants.
FBI Response to Question 16
Employee Benefits:
In addition to FEGLI life insurance programs, FBI employees can obtain
additional group term life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance
and disability income protection insurance through two insurance carriers who have
established special programs for Bureau personnel.
Retirement:
FBI employees may be covered by CSRS (regular or law enforcement
provision-o)or FERS (regular or law enforcement provisions). Only Special
Agent personnel are entitled to the Special retirement benefits (i.e., law
enforcement) provided by the two retirement systems. Support personnel in the
FBI are entitled to regular retirement benefits under each systems.
Points of correction: Under CSRS, in order to be eligible for
disability benefits an employee must have 5 or more years of civilian service.
Under FERS, disability benefits are available to employees with 18 months or
more of civilian service. Survivor benefits under CSRS and FERS are payable
to eligible survivors only if the worker had at least 18 months of civilian
service. Moreover, under FERS, the survivor's benefit does not include a
spousal survivor's benefit unless.the employee had 10 years or more of
Federal civilian service.
CSRS and FERS both provide for deferred retirement benefits, at
ages 62 and 55 (or 'Minimum Retirement,Age) provided the employee had at
least 5 years' service.
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