The following are questions (and answers) employees frequently have about employee relations within the Department of Interior.
The Frequently Asked Questions are:
- I'm having a disagreement/misunderstanding with my supervisor. What can I do?
- What is the Performance Appraisal Policy of the Department of the Interior?
- What is the Administrative Grievance Procedure?
- What is an Employee Assistance Program?
- How do I find out more information about my EAP?
- Who is eligible to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program?
- What family members can be covered under my federal health insurance plan?
- Under what circumstances can I change my health insurance?
- Does the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program cover pre-existing conditions?
- Can I carry my health and life insurance coverage into retirement? What will this coverage cost?
- What is Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC)?
- Can I later sign up for life insurance if I initially waived this coverage?
- Can I sign up for additional life insurance if I have a change in family status?
- How Many Multiples of Option B Can Be Obtained or Added Due to a Change in Marital or Family Status?
- What is the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)?
- When will I be eligible to retire?
- What is the difference between CSRS and FERS?
- Am I in the right retirement program?
I'm having a disagreement/misunderstanding with my supervisor. What can I do?
First, you should be certain that your supervisor knows there is a matter of concern. Before any resolution can be achieved, it is essential for both parties to understand the issue.
After discussing the issue with your supervisor and exhausting all informal methods for trying to resolve the situation, if you continue to have a matter of concern, there are a number of avenues you may pursue to resolve the matter:
- At any time, if you feel the issue involves discrimination against you based on your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or handicap, you should contact an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Counselor. For more information, go to the DOI EEO Website.
- If you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, (a) you should review your Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to see if the matter is covered by the CBA or (b) you may wish to file a grievance under the negotiated grievance procedures (NGP) Be sure to carefully review the agreement paying particular attention to the NGP and other contract articles applicable to your situation. You may also wish to contact your local union representative for assistance. If you are not sure whether you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, or need more information, contact your Servicing Personnel Office.
- If you are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, you may wish to file a grievance under the Department's Administrative Grievance Procedures (AGP) Contact your Servicing Personnel Office if you need further information.
- Classification Appeals - If you feel your current position is improperly classified.
- Federal Labor Standards Act Appeals - If you feel you have been required to work overtime without proper compensation.
- Whisteblowing - If you believe there is a prohibited personnel practice involved, you may call the whisteblowing hot line 202-208-5300 or 1-800-424-5081.
Some Bureaus also have Employee Assistance Programs to help employees having problems on and off the job. Contact your Servicing Personnel Office if you need more information about such programs.
What is the Performance Appraisal Policy of the Department of the Interior?
It is the policy of the Department of the Interior that, within the framework provided by the performance management program, individual and organizational goals will be communicated to employees, individual responsibility for accomplishing team and organizational goals will be identified, performance will be evaluated and improved, and the results of performance management will be used as a basis for appropriate personnel actions. An integral part of the performance management concept is the establishment of management accountability for Workforce Diversity and Affirmative Employment Program practices and principles.
Each agency must have a performance appraisal system approved by the Office of Personnel Management. Employees must be given a written performance plan containing critical results and indicators at the beginning of each appraisal period. Employees who fail to meet one or more critical performance elements of their job can be removed or demoted. Employees who meet or exceed the standards may be rewarded through a performance awards program. All participants in this process should expect to be held accountable for accomplishment of their performance management responsibilities.
What is the Administrative Grievance Procedure?
The Administrative Grievance System (AGS) provides an avenue for most nonbargaining unit employees to present matters of concern related to their employment to appropriate officials and to have them considered expeditiously, fairly, and impartially, and resolved as quickly as possible.
Employees covered under the AGS are entitled to present grievances to their supervisors or managers. They may represent themselves or be represented by someone of their choice although their choice of representative may be denied if it would result in a conflict of interest, conflict with mission priorities, or result in unreasonable costs. Employees are also entitled to full access to relevant information and to copies of such information where providing copies is not unduly burdensome or contrary to law or regulation. They are entitled to a reasonable amount of official duty time, if otherwise in a duty status at their job, to present grievances and to communicate with management and personnel officials. The remedy requested by the grievance must be personal to the employee and may not include a request for disciplinary or other action affecting another employee.
What is an Employee Assistance Program?
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), is designed to restore employees to full productivity. Specifically, the EAP provides free, confidential short term counseling to identify the employee's problem and, when appropriate, make a referral to an outside organization, facility, or program that can assist the employee in resolving his or her problem. The types of problems employees might bring to the EAP include substance abuse problems, counseling and referral services to help employees achieve a balance between their work and family and other personal responsibilities, mental or emotional problems, family responsibilities, financial or legal difficulties, or dependent care needs. For more information, click on Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
How do I find out more information about my EAP?
Your servicing personnel office can give you information on how to contact your EAP. Another source is www.opm.gov/ehs.
Who is eligible to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program?
All permanent employees with regularly scheduled tours of duty and temporary employees whose appointments are for longer than one year are eligible to enroll in the FEHB program. Also eligible to enroll are temporary employees with an appointment for one year or less who have completed one year of current, continuous employment, excluding any break in service of five days or less. (There is no government contribution to the health premiums for temporary employees.) Employees whose appointments are intermittent (without prearranged regular tour of duty), or short-term (limited to one year or less) are not eligible to enroll. See OPM's FEHB home page for more information.
What family members can be covered under my federal health insurance plan?
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage is available for the employee's spouse and unmarried dependent children under age 22, including legally adopted children and children born out of wedlock. Stepchildren and foster children (including grandchildren, if they qualify as foster children) are included if they live with the employee in a regular parent-child relationship. Also, an unmarried dependent child age 22 or over who is incapable of self support because of a mental or physical incapacity which existed before age 22 may qualify for coverage under certain conditions. A common-law spouse may be covered if the state in which you live recognizes common-law marriages. You cannot cover other relatives, such as your parents, even if they are otherwise considered your dependents. Contact your servicing personnel office for an enrollment eligibility determination.
Under what circumstances can I change my health insurance?
You can change plans once a year during open season and a change from self-and-family coverage to self-only coverage is allowed at any time. There are also certain events that allow you to change health carriers and change from self-only to self-and-family coverage -- the most common changes include marriage, birth or adoption of a child, or moving out of the area serviced by your current HMO. Contact your servicing personnel office to find out if your situation enables you to make a change. There are strict time limits within which you can change your coverage.
Does the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program cover pre-existing conditions?
Yes. There are no exclusions or waiting periods for pre-existing conditions in any plan in the FEHB Program. This will also be the case after you retire.
Can I carry my health and life insurance coverage into retirement? What will this coverage cost?
In order for you to continue your health benefits enrollment into retirement, you must:
- Have retired on an immediate annuity (that is, an annuity which begins to accrue no later than one month after the date of your final separation); and
- Have been continuously enrolled (or covered as a family member) in any Federal Employees Health Benefits Program plan (not necessarily the same plan) for the five years of service immediately preceding retirement, or if less than five years, for all service since your first opportunity to enroll.
What is Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC)?
Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) is available to
- employees who lose their Federal Employees Health Benefits Program coverage because they leave their Federal jobs,
- children who lose their Federal Employees Health Benefits Program family member status because they become age 22 or marry, and
- former spouses who lose their Federal Employees Health Benefits Program family member status because of divorce or annulment.
Can I later sign up for life insurance if I initially waived this coverage?
You can obtain Basic insurance and/or Options A and B by canceling your waiver if at least one year has passed since the effective date of your waiver and you provide satisfactory medical evidence of insurability. You must have Basic insurance to elect Optional insurance. To cancel a waiver, complete the Request for Insurance form (SF 2822) available from your personnel office. The Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) decides whether to grant the cancellation of the waiver. If approved, you are allowed 31 days from the date of OFEGLI's approval to make a new FEGLI election. See the FEGLI Handbook for more information.
Can I sign up for additional life insurance if I have a change in family status?
If you already have Basic Life, you can elect Option B or increase the number of multiples you carry, because of one of these events: marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, or acquiring an eligible child. You can elect Option C because of one of these events: marriage, divorce, if you have any eligible children, death of a spouse, if you have any eligible children, or acquiring an eligible child. Your new election and necessary proof of the event must be filed with your personnel office no later than 60 days after the date of the event.
How Many Multiples of Option B Can Be Obtained or Added Due to a Change in Marital or Family Status?
The number of multiples of Option B that can be obtained or added (up to a total of five) is:
- For marriage, the number of additional family members (spouse and eligible children) acquired with your marriage;
- For acquisition of children, the number of eligible children acquired;
- For divorce or death of your spouse, the total number of eligible children you have.
What is the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)?
The Thrift Savings Plan is a retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees. The purpose of the TSP is to provide retirement income. It offers Federal civilian employees the same type of savings and tax benefits that many private corporations offer their employees under so-called ''401(k)'' plans.
FERS Participants: As one of the three parts of your retirement package -- along with your FERS Basic Annuity and Social Security -- the TSP will provide an important part of your retirement income. This is especially important to FERS employees because the formula used to compute your FERS Basic Annuity is less generous than the formula used to compute the CSRS annuity. You can contribute up to 10 percent of your basic pay each pay period to your TSP account. The agency will match up to 5% of your contributions.
CSRS Participants -- The TSP provides a source of retirement income in addition to your CSRS annuity. You can contribute up to 5 percent of your basic pay each pay period to your TSP account. You do not receive any agency contributions. The TSP offers before-tax savings and tax-deferred investment earnings. For more complete information on the Thrift Savings Plan, including a calculator to project your individual earnings, visit the TSP home page.
When will I be eligible to retire?
Retirement regulations are complicated and individual situations vary. We can only generally cover the rules governing retirement here. You are encouraged to contact your servicing personnel office for personal retirement counseling.
Most permanent employees are covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Under CSRS an employee can retire at age 62 with 5 years of creditable service, age 60 with 20 years of creditable service, or age 55 with 30 years of creditable service.
The rules are slightly different under FERS. You can retire at age 62 with 5 years creditable service, age 60 with 20 years of creditable service, or at your minimum retirement age (MRA) with 30 years of creditable service. Your MRA is based on your year of birth. Employees born prior to 1948 have an MRA of 55. The scale increases to age 57 for employees born after 1969. There is also a provision under FERS that allows for early retirement at your MRA with 10 years of creditable service. Employees retiring under this provision take a 5% reduction in their annuity for each year they are under age 62.
What is the difference between CSRS and FERS?
We can only generally cover the basic components of the retirement systems. There are many factors that may affect your individual situation. We encourage you to contact your servicing personnel office for individual retirement counseling.
The FERS annuity and the CSRS annuity are defined benefit programs. This means that the benefits you receive from your FERS or CSRS annuity are based on your years of service and your salary, rather than on the amount of your contributions and earnings. Most contributions to these annuity programs are made by your agency on your behalf. Your contributions are mandatory and the amount you contribute is defined by law.
The CSRS system provides a more generous basic annuity. A simple rule of thumb used to estimate your annuity is to subtract 2 from your creditable years of service and multiply the result by 2. This will give you the approximate percentage of your high-3 you will receive as an annuity. Of course, if you have temporary or military service that you have not made a deposit for, or have taken a refund of your CSRS contributions, calculating your annuity is more complicated. Consult the retirement counselor in your servicing personnel office for a more accurate estimate and guidance on how these factors will affect your annuity.
FERS is a 3-tiered system that includes your basic FERS annuity, the Thrift Savings Plan, and Social Security. The basic annuity under FERS provides approximately 1% of your high-3 salary for each year of creditable service. Temporary service performed prior to 1989 is creditable only if you pay a deposit. Temporary service performed on or after 1/1/89 is not creditable for retirement purposes under FERS. See your servicing personnel office for estimates and additional information.
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is an integral part of the FERS system. It is important that FERS employees contribute to the TSP to ensure an adequate retirement income. Contributing at least 5% to the TSP will also allow you to take advantage of the 5% agency match.
Am I in the right retirement program?
There has been a lot of publicity about the fact that some federal employees were placed in the wrong retirement system during the transition from CSRS to FERS. Here are some important dates to help you determine whether you are in the correct retirement system:
- 1/1/84 - 12/31/86 -- The transition period from CSRS to FERS. Employees hired during this period were placed in a retirement program called CSRS-Interim.
- 1/1/84 -- The CSRS program was closed to new employees. Anyone newly hired on or after this date cannot have CSRS coverage. (If you were first hired on or after this date and have CSRS coverage, you are in the wrong retirement system.)
- 1/1/87 -- Employees in CSRS-Interim had to be placed in FERS or CSRS-Offset. Employees with less than 5 years of creditable civilian service as of 12/31/86 were placed in the FERS system. Employees with 5 or more years of civilian service as of 12/31/86 were placed in CSRS-offset.
- If you were re-hired on or after 1/1/87 and previously had 5 years of civilian service (temporary or permanent), you should have been placed in CSRS-Offset with an opportunity to elect FERS.
