# Presentation: 682578

## Orientation for USGS EmployeesHuman Resources Management—Your Rights and Responsibilities

**Orientation for USGS Employees****Human Resources Management**—**Your Rights and Responsibilities**

**U.S. Department of the Interior**
**U.S. Geological Survey**

**Notes:**
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## Training Objectives

- Upon conclusion of this presentation, participants will understand:
- How jobs are established, classified, and filled
- How employees are promoted, paid, and trained
- How the DOI Performance Management System works
- Equal Opportunity (EO) and employee protections
- Labor-Management Relations in USGS
- Awards and recognition processes

**Notes:**
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## Training Objectives (cont.)

- Retirement under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS)
- Life insurance, health benefits, and workers’ compensation coverages
- Employee ethics
- Where to go for additional information

**Notes:**
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## Table of Contents

**Table of Contents**

| Topic | Slide |
| --- | --- |
| Training Objectives | 2 |
| Table of Contents | 4 |
| HR Home Page | 9 |
| Merit Principles | 10 |
| Classification and Position Management |  |
|  Position Management  | 12 |
|  Position Classification | 14 |
|  Career Ladder and Full Performance Level (FPL) | 17 |
| Hiring and Promotion |  |
|  Qualifications Requirements  | 18 |
|  Filling Positions | 19 |
|  Promotions | 22 |
|  Probationary Period | 23 |
|  Reduction-in-Force (RIF) | 24 |
|  Personnel Records | 25 |

**Notes:**
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## Table of Contents (cont.)

**Table of Contents ****(cont.)**

| Your Pay |  |
| --- | --- |
|  Pay Adjustments | 26 |
| Employee Performance and Conduct |  |
|  Performance Plans | 29 |
|  Ratings | 30 |
|  Personnel Decisions Linked to Performance 
 Performance versus Conduct | 3233 |
| Dispute Resolution |  |
|  Formal Procedures | 36 |
|  CORE (COnflict REsolution) | 37 |
| Equal Opportunity |  |
|  Objectives | 38 |
|  Prohibited Factors | 40 |
|  Informal Resolution	 | 41 |
|  The Complaints Process | 43 |
|  Managing Cultural Diversity | 45 |

**Notes:**
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## Table of Contents (cont.)

**Table of Contents ****(cont.)**

| Labor Relations |  |
| --- | --- |
|  Union Representation | 49 |
| The Rewarding Environment |  |
|  Vision | 50 |
|  Definition | 51 |
|  Importance | 52 |
| Employee Development |  |
|  Importance | 54 |
|  The Leadership-Centered Culture | 55 |
|  Training Opportunities | 56 |
|  Mentoring Program | 57 |
| Safety | 59 |
| Employee Support Programs |  |
|  Family Friendly Work Policies | 60 |
|  Employee Assistance Program | 61 |

**Notes:**
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## Table of Contents (cont.)

**Table of Contents ****(cont.)**

| Time Off |  |
| --- | --- |
|  Leave and Other Earned Time Off | 62 |
|  Holidays | 63 |
| Employee Benefits |  |
|  Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) | 64 |
|  CSRS Annuity Calculations | 68 |
|  Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) | 70 |
|  FERS Annuity Calculations | 75 |
|  Thrift Savings Plan | 76 |
|  Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance | 79 |
|  Designation of Beneficiaries | 80 |
|  Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Program | 81 |
|  Long Term Care Insurance | 82 |
|  Workers’ Compensation | 83 |

**Notes:**
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## Table of Contents (cont.)

**Table of Contents ****(cont.)**

| Ethics |  |
| --- | --- |
|  Public Trust | 84 |
|  Prohibitions and Limitations | 85 |
|  For More Information | 87 |
| Records Access |  |
|  Employee Express | 89 |
|  Servicing Personnel Office | 90 |

**Notes:**
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## HR Home Page

**Notes:**
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## Title 5, U.S. Code, Sets Forth Merit Principles:

- Recruitment, selection, and advancement assure equal opportunity
- Employees and applicants receive fair, equitable treatment in all aspects
- Equal pay for work of equal value
- Employees maintain standards of integrity, conduct, concern for public interest
- Efficient and effective use of Federal work force
- Employees retained on basis of performance
- Employees receive effective education and training

**Notes:**
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## Title 5, U.S. Code, Sets Forth Merit Principles: (cont.)

- Employees protected against arbitrary action, personal favoritism, coercion for partisan political purposes; and prohibited from using official authority or influence withregard to election.
- Employees protected against reprisal for lawful “whistleblowing”.

**Notes:**
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## HRM Starts With Position Management

- Management Considers:
- work to be done
- number of positions
- duties and content of positions
- relationships among positions
- ratio of professional to support positions
- ratio of supervisory to nonsupervisory positions

**Notes:**
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## Positions Are Classified By:

- Determining the:
- kind or type of work
- level of difficulty
- level of responsibility
- These determinations are evaluated against U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)   classification standards to assign a title, series and grade.

**Notes:**
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## Position Classification

- Statute:  Classification Act of 1949 covers General     Schedule positions in :
- 22 broad occupational groups
- nearly 500 series
- 15 grade levels
- 95 percent of USGS positions are classified in the General Schedule (GS, GM); most of the rest are covered by the Federal Wage System (WG, WL, WS, XP, XS)
- A small number are classified under several other pay plans, such as Senior Executive Service, Senior Level, and 	Maritime Pay Schedules.

**Notes:**
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## Understanding Your Position Description (PD)

- Format:
- Factor Evaluation System (FES) (9 factors)
- Supervisory (optional 6 or 9 factors)
- Research (4 factors)
- Purpose:
- Basis for determining grade and pay
- Document major duties, responsibilities, organizational relationships of a job
- Official record of the classification of a job
- Describes the position, not the person assigned to it
- Process:
- Written by employee, team leader, supervisor, manager, personnel specialist or any combination

**Notes:**
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## Understanding Your PD (cont.)

- Process: (cont.)
- Supervisor signs PD as the official who authorizes the assignment of work to the employee
- Supervisors and managers have ultimate responsibility for defining the position
- Title, series, and grade are determined and certified by a personnel specialist in your servicing personnel office
- If You Have Questions About Your Position Description:
- Discuss it with your supervisor
- Discuss it with a staff member in your personnel office

**Notes:**
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## Jobs Have A Career Ladder and A Full Performance Level (FPL)

- Personnel specialist determines the career ladder of the job at the time it is established
- FPL is grade to which an employee may be promoted noncompetitively*
- FPL shown on Position Description
- work must exist
- job must be classified
- employee must perform satisfactorily
- employee must meet qualifications requirements
- supervisor must recommend
- 	*Promotion to FPL is not automatic

**Notes:**
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## Positions Have Qualifications Requirements

- Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions published by  OPM
- Apply to ALL Federal agencies
- Specify required education and experience
- Typically allow for substitution of education for experience
- Some series have mandatory education requirements
- Employee must meet qualifications requirements at closing date of merit promotion announcement for USGS positions

**Notes:**
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## How Positions Are Filled:

- Competitively
- Merit Promotion
- Competition required when position has higher FPL (Exception:  Time limited promotion or detail NTE 120 days)
- OPM certification from a civil service register
- Noncompetitively
- detail or temporary promotions for short periods of time
- reinstatement, transfer, or reassignment at or below FPL
- change to lower grade at employee’s request
- special appointing authorities (e.g. student, faculty, disabled individuals, and certain veterans)

**Notes:**
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## Appointments May Be:

- Permanent
- career or career conditional in competitive service
- Term
- time limited; more than one year up to 4 years
- Temporary
- not to exceed one year with option for renewal for maximum 2 years

**Notes:**
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## Work Schedules May Be:

- Full time
- Part time
- Intermittent
- Seasonal

**Notes:**
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## Employees May Be Promoted In Different Ways

- Merit promotion competition
- Career promotions to FPL do not require further competition
- Accretion of duties promotions do not require competition
- New appointments from OPM certifications

**Notes:**
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## Probationary Period May Be Required:

- One year when appointed from OPM register
- Successful completion necessary for continued 	employment
- One year supervisory/managerial probationary periods
- Successful completion is required to remain in 	supervisory/managerial position
- Required probationary periods documented in “Remarks” on SF 50

**Notes:**
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## Reduction-In-Force (RIF)

- Agency required to use RIF procedures to determine
- which employees will be separated or downgraded due to:
- reorganization
- lack of work
- shortage of funds
- insufficient personnel ceiling (FTE)
- exercise of a returning employee’s reemployment or restoration rights
- OR when a furlough of more than 30 calendar days (or more than 22 discontinuous work days in a calendar year) is imposed
- 	Note:  Minimum 60 days specific written notice required.

**Notes:**
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## Career Documentation and Personnel Records

- Personnel Office maintains Official Personnel Folder (OPF), Employee Performance File (EPF), Medical file
- Employee’s responsibility to update personnel records concerning additional education, skills, experience acquired outside of Federal employment
- Personnel Actions documented on SF 50, Notification of Personnel Action
- Employee should verify accuracy of informationExamples:  		Title/Series/Grade/Step/Pay
- 			Veterans’ Preference
- 		FEGLI
- 				Retirement plan
- Original SF 50 to Employee (keep in safe place)

**Notes:**
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## Pay Adjustments

- Within grade increases
- General Schedule (GS) employees on Permanent and Term appointments;
- Acceptable level of competence
- Waiting periods

- GS:

- WG:

| Steps 2, 3, 4 |  | 52 weeks creditable service |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Steps 5, 6, 7 |  | 104 weeks |
| Steps 8, 9, 10 |  | 156 weeks |

| Steps 2 |  | 26 weeks creditable service |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Steps 3 |  | 78 weeks |
| Steps 4,5 |  | 104 weeks |

**Notes:**
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## Pay Adjustments (cont.)

- Locality pay  (January 1994)
- Adjusts General Schedule salaries by comparison with non-Federal rates of pay by geographic area
- Amount of locality pay may change if you change duty station
- Does not apply to Wage Grade positions
- Hazardous duty pay
- Shift differentials

**Notes:**
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## Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

- Assures that employees are appropriately compensated for overtime work
- Typically nonexempt:
- one grade interval physical science and engineering techs at GS-8 and below
- two grade interval admin positions at GS-5 and GS-7
- professional positions at GS-5 and GS-7
- administrative support jobs below GS-8
- Exemptions for certain employees:
- executive
- administrative
- professional
- secretaries

**Notes:**
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## Performance Management System

- The performance plan:
- Contract between rating official and employee
- Jointly developed
- Critical results
- 1 to 5 most important work assignments or responsibilities
- Individual, team, or organizational
- Performance indicators

**Notes:**
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## Performance Management System (cont.)

- Rating period:
- October 1-September 30
- Must work under written plan at least 90 days
- Progress reviews:
- At least 2
- Discuss progress, changes in plan, improvement, training

**Notes:**
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## Performance Management System (cont.)

- Summary rating:
- Results achieved
- All critical results achieved
- Results not achieved
- 1 or more critical results not achieved
- Rating discussion
- Reconsideration
- 1 level above
- Within 15 days

**Notes:**
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## Performance Ratings Are Linked To Personnel Decisions

- Examples:
- Career ladder promotion
- Within-grade increase
- Performance-based action
- Reduction-in-force
- 12 years - results achieved
-  0 years - results not achieved
- Quality Step Increase (QSI)
- Only award directly related to performance rating
- Extra documentation

**Notes:**
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## Employees Are Responsible for Acceptable Performance and Conduct

- Performance
- Achieving all critical results in performance plan
- Conduct
- Behaving ethically and appropriately

**Notes:**
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## If An Employee Has A Performance Problem

- Supervisor’s Responsibility
- Identify problem, discuss with employee, assist employee
- Employee’s Responsibility
- Improve performance
- If no improvement:  Written Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)
- Opportunity to demonstrate acceptable (Results  Achieved)  performance
- If still no improvement:  Denial of within-grade increase (WGI), demotion, or removal

**Notes:**
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## If An Employee Has A Conduct Problem

- Supervisor’s Responsibility
- Identify problem and discuss with employee
- Employee’s Responsibility
- Improve conduct
- If no improvement:  Progressive discipline
- 		- Warning
- 			- Reprimand
- 				- Suspension
- 					- Removal

**Notes:**
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## Dispute Resolution

- Formal Procedures
- Agency Grievance Procedure
- Negotiated Grievance Procedure (for 			bargaining unit employees)
- EO Complaints Process

**Notes:**
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## Dispute Resolution (cont.)

- Alternative Procedures
- 	CORE (COnflict REsolution)
- For any workplace conflict
- Confidential and voluntary
- Encourage better communication and early resolution of conflicts through the mediation, facilitation, fact-finding, and referral services of neutral third parties
- Use without restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal
- www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/hro/adr.core.html

**Notes:**
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## Equal Opportunity (EO) Program

- Objectives:
- Ensure a discrimination free workplace
- EO laws and regulations
- Complaints Process
- Ensure employees have full and fair opportunity to contribute to the mission
- Affirmative Employment Plan
- Special Emphasis Programs
- Disability Accommodation

**Notes:**
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## EO: It’s the Law

- Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended (Equal Pay Act of 1963)
- Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended in 1972
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1992 to incorporate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- Civil Rights Act of 1991

**Notes:**
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## The Nine Prohibited Factors

- Discrimination – unfair treatment – based on any of these factors is:

- illegal
- unacceptable
- intolerable

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
|  |  |
|  |  |
|  |  |
|  |  |

|  Race |  Sex |  Age
 |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  Color |  Religion |  Disability
 |
| National origin
 | Sexual orientation |  Having previously participated in the EO process (reprisal) |

**Notes:**
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## Informal Resolution

- EEO PLUS (Partners Listening, Understanding and Solving)
- When an allegation of workplace discrimination is the issue
- Contact the Office of Equal Opportunity within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory incident
- Voluntary
- Encourage better communication and early resolution of conflicts through the mediation, facilitation, fact-finding, and referral services of neutral third parties
- Use without restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal
- More information?  Contact the Office of Equal Opportunity in Reston, VA

**Notes:**
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## Informal Resolution (cont.)

- ...It’s in everyone’s best interest:
- Issues resolved at the lowest level possible
- No admission of guilt
- Restores morale
- Restores productivity
- Saves time
- Saves money

**Notes:**
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## The Complaints Process

*Who?*
- Applicants for employment
- Current employees
- Former employees within 45 days of separation
*How?*
- Contact counselor within 45 days of event
- Counselor attempts resolution and issues Notice of Final Interview (NFI) within 30 days
- Complainant files formal complaint within 15 days of receipt of NFI

**Notes:**
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## The Complaints Process (cont.)

*How? (cont.)*
- USGS investigates issues accepted and generates Report of Investigation within 180 days
- Complainant requests EEOC hearing or Final  Agency Decision from Department within 30 days
- Findings issued within 180 days
- Appeal to EEOC within 30 days or file civil suit within 90 days
- Note:  EEO PLUS may be considered at any point in the process.

**Notes:**
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## Managing Cultural Diversity

- The process of including people from different backgrounds into an effective organizational team -- one that fully uses the potential of every employee to get results.  Diversity includes EVERYONE!

**Notes:**
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## USGS Diversity PlanDecember 1997

- Goal 1:	Recruitment
- Goal 2:	Retention
- Goal 3:	Accountability
- Goal 4:	Diversity Education
- Goal 5:	Zero Tolerance
- USGS Diversity Plan -- www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/eeo/diversity.html

**Notes:**
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## Role of Supervisors and Managers in a Diverse Work Environment

- Create an environment in which diversity is regarded as an ASSET
- Be proactive in diversity initiatives
- Consider diversity in all personnel-related decisions
- Recognize that the best results arise when a variety of people from different backgrounds work together on a team
- Understand that all employees and applicants have unique contributions to make
- Encourage open communications and different approaches to problem solving
- Lead by EXAMPLE!

**Notes:**
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## Role of Employee in a Diverse Work Environment

- Assist in maintaining an environment in which diversity is regarded as an ASSET
- Offer different approaches to accomplishing work tasks
- Listen to co-workers’ ideas and concepts, especially when they are different than your own
- Recognize that differences are only that - different - and avoid making value judgments regarding them

**Notes:**
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## Union Representation and Labor Relations

- Federal Service Labor Management Relations Statute:  5 USC 7101-7135
- Without fear of penalty or reprisal, gives employees the right to:
- form, join, or assist any labor organization, or
- refrain from such activity
- Protects employees in the exercise of these rights

**Notes:**
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## The Rewarding Environment

- The USGS is committed to creating a rewarding environment as an essential part of our bureau strategy for ensuring that we can recruit, retain, and motivate a highly qualified and diverse workforce to accomplish our mission and strategic goals.
**The Vision:**
- Employees believe that the USGS is “a rewarding place to work;”
- Managers spend time on rewarding and recognizing employees;
- USGS has a celebration culture.
- A rewarding environment provides a robust mechanism for focusing the workforce on the Bureau’s strategic goals and building the capacity to achieve these goals.

**Notes:**
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## Rewards – A New Definition

- Supervisors and employees together have a role and responsibility:
- Assure basic workplace rewards
- Pay and benefits, open communications, effective leadership, appropriate space and facilities, quality coworkers;
- Develop and use quality of worklife rewards
- Flexiplace, Alternative Work Schedules, child care and elder care, health and wellness programs and facilities;
- Promote intrinsic rewards
- Important and challenging work, prestige of affiliation, professional development, personal fulfillment, autonomy;
- Make use of extrinsic rewards
- Honor Awards, Monetary Awards, Non-Monetary Awards and Recognition, Length of Service Recognition.

**Notes:**
Workplace Benefits are at the core of a rewarding environment
e.g. If an employee is not satisfied with their pay, other components of a rewarding environment become hollow and have little meaning.

The entire workforce should feel recognized and rewarded for their contributions.
All employees should be considered for rewards.
Rewards should be tailored to the interests and preferences of the recipient.
Managers and Leaders play a critical role in creating a rewarding environment.
Value and impact is enhanced through open communication and celebration.

## Rewards and Recognition Are Important

- Purpose:
- To acknowledge the contributions of individuals or groups that lead to achievement of the Bureau’s strategic goals.
- NOTE:  Any employee may recommend any other employee for an award or some other form of recognition when appropriate, and all employees are encouraged to do so.  Authority to approve those recommendations might differ from organization to organization.

**Notes:**
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## The Rewarding USGS Environment

- “*Every day* offers an opportunity to recognize and reward employee accomplishments.  In so doing, we take a step forward in creating a rewarding USGS environment.”
- 	Rewards Handbook
- 	internal.usgs.gov/ops/hro/perf/rewards/index.html

**Notes:**
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## Employee Development (Continuous Learning) Is Important To USGS

- “To serve the earth science needs of the Nation, USGS employees must be knowledgeable, highly skilled, effective, and competitive.  Employees must understand the mission and goals of the USGS, understand their place in the USGS, and continually develop the technical and leadership skills necessary to enhance the mission of the USGS and their own personal career development.”
- (Rewards Benchmark Team Report, June 1996)

**Notes:**
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## The Leadership-Centered Culture

- To ensure that the USGS continues to be recognized as a world leader in the natural sciences, EVERY employee must develop and nurture leadership characteristics in carrying out the functions assigned to them.  Those characteristics include:
- 	Taking responsibility
- 	Embracing change
- 	Integrity
- 	Inspiring trust
- 	Vision
- 	Passion
- Leadership development is the foundation on which ALL other continuous learning activities are nested.

**Notes:**
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## Training Opportunities Are Varied:

- USGS is a “learning organization”; Mission-related training is an essential investment
- Shared supervisor/employee responsibility
- Career development takes many forms:
- Formal training:  Internal and External
- On the Job Training
- Developmental Assignments
- Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework

**Notes:**
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## Mentoring Program

- If you want to:
- Become a member of the USGS family quickly;
- Develop job-related networks;
- Acquire new knowledge and skills;
- Learn about our organizational culture ...
- 	Get a Mentor!

## Mentoring (cont.)

- Get started today:
- Ask your supervisor for an in-house sponsor;
- Take responsibility for your own development;
- Seek one or more informal mentors;
- Go to http://training.usgs.gov for information on the formal USGS Mentoring Program

## Safety

- Every employee is responsible for carrying out the mission of the organization in a manner that minimizes risk to the health and well being of themselves, co-workers, and the general public.
- Safety procedures must be followed
- Proper safety equipment must be used for the task at hand
- Unsafe or unhealthful working conditions must be reported and remedied
- For more information go to: internal.usgs.gov /ops/safetynet/index.html

**Notes:**
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## Family Friendly Work Policies

- Family & Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) 	(Expanded by Presidential Memorandum)
- Federal Employees Family Friendly Leave Act
- Sick Leave for Adoption
- Leave for Bone-Marrow or Organ Donation
- Federal Leave Sharing
- Job Sharing
- Alternative Work Schedules (AWS)
- “Flexiplace”

**Notes:**
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## Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

- Professional counseling for help with problems related to:
- work
- personal issues
- financial concerns
- family matters
- other
- Available to employees, supervisors,  family members
- Counseling sessions with EAP counselors are confidential and free
- Contact your Administrative Officer or a staff member in your servicing personnel office for more information

**Notes:**
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## Time Off

- Annual Leave (4, 6, or 8 hour category)*
- Sick Leave (4 hours)*
- Court/Jury Leave
- Administrative Leave
- Shore Leave
- Home Leave
- Military Leave
- Credit Hours
- Compensatory Time
- Leave Without Pay
- *Work schedule affects accrual rate

**Notes:**
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## Time Off (cont.)

- Holidays
- New Year’s Day, January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, 3rd Monday in January
- Presidents Day, 3rd Monday in February
- Memorial Day, last Monday in May
- Independence Day, July 4
- Labor Day, 1st Monday in September
- Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October
- Veterans Day, November 11
- Thanksgiving, 4th Thursday in November
- Christmas Day, December 25

**Notes:**
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## Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)

- Two minimum requirements for immediate annuity:
- Five years of civilian service
- Must have been working in a position under the Retirement Act for at least one of the last two years before separation*
- 	*(Two year requirement is waived in disability retirement, but the employee must be subject to the Retirement Act)

**Notes:**
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## Types of CSRS Retirement and Requirements

| Type | Age | Service | Special  Requirements and Annuity Reductions
 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Optional | 62 | 5 years | None |
| Optional | 60 | 20years	 | None
 |
| Optional | 55 | 30 years | None |

**Notes:**
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## Types of CSRS Retirement and Requirements (cont.)

| Type  | Age | Service | Special  Requirements and Annuity Reductions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| “Early-out” or Discontinued Service | Any age
            or
50 | 25 years

20 years | Major reorganization, transfer of function or reduction-in-force and involuntary separation not for misconduct
 |
|  |  |  | Reduced 2 percent for each year under age 55 |

**Notes:**
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## Types of CSRS Retirement and Requirements (cont.)

| Type  | Age | Service | Special  Requirements and Annuity Reductions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Disability | Any age | 5 years | Disabled for current position and any vacant DOI position in the commuting area for which the employee is qualified |
| Deferred  | 62 | 5 years | Must have left Retirement contributions in fund after separation |
| Death |  | 18 months |  |

**Notes:**
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## CSRS Annuity Calculations

- CSRS - Full-time
- Average High-Three Salary multiplied by:
- 1.5 percent for each of the 1st 5 years of creditable service, plus
- 1.75 percent for each of the next five years, plus
- 2.0 percent for each year over 10 years
- All unused sick leave is credited as time worked for annuity calculation.

**Notes:**
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## CSRS Annuity Calculations (cont.)

- CSRS Offset:
- “CSRS Offset employees are eligible for a CSRS annuity just as if they were covered by CSRS alone, except that the annuity payment is reduced (offset) when the employee becomes eligible for Social Security...
- The offset is made (even if the employee does not apply for Social Security) when the basic requirements for Social Security are met, usually at age 62...
- The amount of the offset is the amount of the Social Security benefit attributable to the employee’s service after 1983 covered by both CSRS and Social Security.”
- (FERS Transfer Handbook, page 57).
- (For Social Security information: www.ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213)

**Notes:**
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## Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS)

- Three ingredients in the FERS package:
- Basic Benefit
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
- Social Security (when eligible)

**Notes:**
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## FERS Minimum Retirement Age (MRA)

| Year of birth | Minimum retirement age |
| --- | --- |
| Before 1948 | 55 |
| 1948 | 55 and 2 months |
| 1949 | 55 and 4 months |
| 1950 | 55 and 6 months |
| 1951 | 55 and 8 months |
| 1952 | 55 and 10 months |
| 1953-64 | 56 |
| 1965 | 56 and 2 months |
| 1966 | 56 and 4 months |
| 1967 | 56 and 6 months |
| 1968 | 56 and 8 months |
| 1969 | 56 and 10 months |
| 1970 and after | 57 |

**Notes:**
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## FERS Basic Benefit

| Type  | Age | Service | Special  Requirements and Annuity Reductions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Optional | 62 | 5 years | None |
| Optional | 60 | 20 years | None |
| Optional | 55-57 | 30 years | None |
| Optional | 55-57 | 10 years | Annuity is reduced 5 percent  for every year under 62 |

**Notes:**
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## FERS Basic Benefit (cont.)

| Type  | Age | Service | Special  Requirements and Annuity Reductions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| “Early-out” or Discontinued Service | Any age
            or
50 | 25 years

20 years | Major reorganization, transfer of function or reduction-in-force and involuntary separation not for misconduct
 |

**Notes:**
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## FERS Basic Benefit (cont.)

| Type  | Age | Service | Special  Requirements and Annuity Reductions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Disability | Any age | 18 months | Disabled for current position and any vacant DOI position in the commuting area for which the employee is qualified |
| Deferred  | 62 | 5 years | Must have left Retirement contributions in fund after separation |
| Death |  | 18 months |  |

**Notes:**
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## FERS Annuity Calculations

- FERS - Full-time
- Average High-Three Salary multiplied by:
- 1 percent for each year of creditable service under FERS
- 1.1 percent for each year under FERS at age 62 or later, if at least 20 years of service
- Combined CSRS/FERS Service
- Calculations for CSRS years apply under CSRS rules (Frozen CSRS) and calculations for FERS years apply under FERS rules
- Survivor Benefits
- Spouse, children, other benefits payable

**Notes:**
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## Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

- Eligibility
- Contributions
- CSRS
- FERS
- Agency Contributions/Matching
- Open Season
- Investment Options & Changes
- Loan Program
- Withdrawal Options

**Notes:**
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## Thrift Savings Plan (cont.)

- You might think the TSP is not for you...
- “I’m Too Young”
- “I Can’t Afford It”	...Are You Sure?
- A nest egg started at age 25 will be richer by far than one started at 45
- e.g. If you earn $20,000 a year and contribute 5 percent of your pay starting at  age 25, and assuming your TSP account earns 7 percent a year, at age 65 you’ll have $438,200!
- However...
- If everything else stays the same, but you start contributing at age 45, you’ll have only $87,000 at age 65!    START NOW...
- [For more information, contact Thriftline at (504) 255-8777 or visit the TSP website at www.tsp.gov]

**Notes:**
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## Other Retirement Issues

- Deposit
- Redeposit
- Military Deposit
- Part-time or Intermittent work schedules affect retirement benefits

**Notes:**
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## Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)

- At a Glance...
- BASIC LIFE
- 		plus
- OPTION A - Standard
- OPTION B - Additional
- OPTION C - Family

**Notes:**
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## Designation of Beneficiaries

- CSRS
- FERS
- Unpaid Compensation
- Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance
- Thrift Savings Plan
- Savings Bonds

**Notes:**
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## Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Program

- Who May Enroll
- Open Season
- 26 Additional Permissible Changes in Enrollment
- Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC)
- Who is Covered
- Effective Dates

**Notes:**
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## Long Term Care Insurance

- Available to eligible Federal employees and qualified family members:
- Federal employees must be in a position eligible for FEHB coverage
- Qualified family members include current spouse, adult children, parents, parents-in-law, and stepparents of living employees
- Benefits include:
- Daily/weekly benefit
- 3-year, 5-year, and Unlimited benefit periods
- Facilities only/comprehensive options
- Customized plans
- Choice of waiting periods
- Information and Application Packages:
- Toll-free phone number 1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337)
- Internet www.ltcfeds.com and www.opm.gov/insure/ltc

**Notes:**
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## Workers’ Compensation

- Department of Labor
- Medical Expenses
- Scheduled Award
- Lost Wages
- Disability
- Death

**Notes:**
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## Ethics

- Public Service is a Public Trust:
- Ethical behavior increases public confidence in the integrity of Federal employees
- Ethical behavior is important in USGS to:
- maintain credibility and objectivity of USGS science
- ensure that USGS science is used to serve the whole public, not special interests
- Ethical requirements are governed by:
- The USGS Organic Act, Federal criminal statutes, Executive Orders, and DOI and USGS policies

**Notes:**
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## The Organic Act

- Prohibits USGS employees from having financial interests in the mineral wealth of the public lands
- Limits USGS employees’ financial interests in private oil/gas mining and exploration and production activities
- Limits outside consulting work:
- for performing “surveys or examinations” that have the potential for an actual or apparent conflict of interest between the activity and an employee’s official duties*
- 	*Generally applies to mining, petroleum, and geophysical companies, environmental service organizations, and map makers, among others

**Notes:**
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## Questions About Ethical Restrictions Frequently Involve:

- Limitations on Outside Work
- Work with Professional Societies
- Accepting Funds from Outside Sources
- Acceptance of Gifts
- Post-Employment
- Political Activity
- Nepotism
- For more information about Ethics, consult:
- “Employee Conduct Handbook-Legal, Regulatory, and Policy Guidelines, U.S. Geological Survey, 1993
- “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, August 1992”

**Notes:**
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## Contact the following officials for advice on Ethics

- Bureau Ethics Office
*Virginia Miles* - (703)-648-7474
- Regarding financial conflict of interest, financial disclosure review forms, investments, trusts, divestitures, minerals royalties, etc.
*Stephanie E. Koontz* - (703) 648-7422
- Regarding acceptance of gifts, outside work, post-employment, non-official expression, political activities, receipt of funds from non-Federal sources, etc.

**Notes:**
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## Contact the following officials for advice on Ethics: (cont.)

- Servicing Personnel Office Contacts:
- Central Region:  J. Michael Bieszad
- 		(303) 236-5900, ext. 326
- Western Region:  William R. Creach
- 		(650) 329-4100
- Southeastern Region:  Nancy M. Thurman
- 		(770) 409-7751

**Notes:**
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## Employee Express

- Allows employees immediate access to information about their own personnel and payroll records
- Enables employees to make changes to their:
- Federal and state income tax deductions
- Direct deposit
- Home address
- Health benefits coverage and TSP fund designations and amount of contributions during open seasons
- All DOI employees may participate
- Access via 1-800-827-6254 or 1-912-757-3080 and your PIN
- For more information, visit the Employee Express website at: www.employeeexpress.gov

**Notes:**
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## Need Information?

- Servicing Personnel Office
- Official Personnel Folder
- Employee Performance File
- Medical File
- Official Correspondence Address

**Notes:**
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