Benefits & Family-Friendly Flexibilities

While the Interior Business Center can offer a host of exciting and meaningful career opportunities and exciting work supporting the missions of most of the federal government, working with the Interior Business Center can also provide a competitive benefits package.

Pay is only one part of IBC's compensation package. We offer a broad array of benefits programs and family-friendly flexibilities to meet your needs. Listed below is a sampling of some of our benefits:

Dental and Vision Care

Dental and Vision Care benefits are offered as separate, individual, optional plans to supplement benefits available under FEHB. Employees can select from a variety of dental plans and a variety of vision plans for individual, self+one, and family coverage. These elections are independent of the FEHB elections. These plans allow federal employees to participate in a group program allowing for competitive premiums and no pre-exiting condition limitations. Further information about Dental and Vision Care benefits is available at the OPM website.

Employee Assistance Program

The Interior Business Center provides access to an Employee Assistance Program to help employees resolve personal difficulties that may be affecting their quality of life or job performance. The EAP provides employees and their eligible dependents confidential and convenient access to short-term professional counseling at no cost. Our EAP also provides services such as legal consultation, financial advisement, child care and elder care referrals, adoption resources, and pet care services.

Family and Medical Leave/Paid Parental Leave

Covered Federal employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid time off for the birth, adoption, or foster, of a new child under the Family and Medical Leave Act/Paid Parental Leave (FMLA). "Covered employees" are Interior Business Center employees who have completed 12 months of Federal service. FMLA eligibility does not normally extend to employees serving under a temporary appointment of 1 year or less or as an intermittent employee.

Flexible Savings Accounts

The Interior Business Center offers both a Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA. Employees can use the Health Care FSA for expenses that are tax-deductible, but not reimbursed by any other source, including out-of-pocket expenses and non-covered benefits under your FEHB plan. Examples include non-covered dental work, Lasik surgery, health plan deductibles, and co-payments and coinsurance. There is also a Limited Expense Health Care FSA for employees enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account. Dependent care FSAs are available for employees with dependent children or qualifying dependent adults when the care is necessary to allow the employee to work. FSAs allow employees to increase their disposable income as the amounts contributed are not subject to Federal income, FICA, State or local income taxes. See the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) website for further information.

Flexible Work Schedules

The Interior Business Center offers a number of programs to support your needs for individual flexibility. We have an Alternate Work Schedule program that allows you to adjust your work hours, with supervisory approval, in a number of ways potentially resulting in additional days off and flexible start and end times. Please note certain positions require a fixed work schedule; in this case the need for a fixed schedule is annotated in the vacancy announcement.

Health Benefits

Health benefits are offered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. It offers a wide variety of health plan options throughout the United States, including consumer-driven health care and preferred provider network options. At least a dozen plan choices are available to each employee, so you can choose the plan that best meets your individual needs. While benefits vary among FEHB plans, there is no pre-existing condition limitation, none can impose a waiting period or require a medical exam to enroll. Employees typically have their premium deductions made on a pre-tax basis. See the OPM website for further information about the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Leave and Holidays

In an effort to assist our employees in balancing their work with their personal lives, employees receive annual (vacation) and sick leave. Our employees also receive 10 paid holidays each year.

Annual Leave

Federal employees receive at least 13 days of vacation leave each year. Depending on years of service, employees can earn up to 26 days of vacation leave every year. The chart below shows the projected annual leave employees will receive each pay period.

Annual Leave Accrual Rates

Employee Type	Less than 3 years of service*	3 years but less than 15 years of service*	15 or more years of service*
Full-time employees	½ day (4 hours) for each pay period	3/4 day (6 hours) for each pay period, except 1¼ day (10 hours) in last pay period	1 day (8 hours) for each pay period
Part-time employees**	1 hour of annual leave for each 20 hours in a pay status	1 hour of annual leave for each 13 hours in a pay status	1 hour of annual leave for each 10 hours in a pay status

* There is potential for a newly appointed or reappointed employee to receive service credit for prior non-Federal service or active duty uniformed service.

** Leave is prorated for part-time employees.

"Use or Lose" of Annual Leave

Employees who are in excess of 240 hours of annual leave at the end of the calendar year may carry this amount over to the next leave year. Employees must "use" their excess annual leave by the end of the next leave year or they will "lose" (forfeit) it.

Sick Leave

All Federal employees receive 13 days of sick leave each year regardless of the employee's length of service. An employee's sick leave is carried over each year and there are no penalties if not used.

Voluntary Leave Transfer Program

The Voluntary Leave transfer Program provides for transfer of annual leave to employees with medical emergencies or employees with family members with medical emergencies. The program was created to fill a need when an employee does not have enough accrued leave to cover an illness/injury or for the interim time pending approval of disability retirement.

Holidays

Federal employees are paid for the following 11 holidays each year:

New Year's Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. President's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day

Life Insurance

Federal employees can participate in the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance program, a group term life insurance program. The FEGLI consists of Basic life insurance coverage and three forms of optional coverage that you can elect (Standard, Additional, and Family). For most appointments, unless you waive coverage, you are automatically covered by Basic life insurance and your premiums are deducted from your salary without any underwriting procedures. See the OPM website for further information.

Long Term Care Insurance

You will have the opportunity to enroll for long term care insurance under the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program with minimal underwriting. Please be aware though that applying for coverage does not automatically guarantee you will be approved for that coverage and enrolled. Long term care helps people to perform daily activities if they have an ongoing illness or disability. This program offers a choice of benefits that can provide a variety of services, including but not limited to: nursing home care, assisted living facility care, adult day care and at home care. See www.ltcfeds.com for further information.

Overall information on the above programs is available at the OPM New/Prospective Employees Guide.

Other Compensation

Other compensation incentives may be available to new employees such as recruitment incentives, relocation expenses, and the student loan repayment program. Once on-board, other incentives may be available such as incentive awards, retention incentives, relocation incentives, and employee development programs.

Other Leave

The Interior Business Center also has family-friendly leave policies that allow employees to care for a sick family member, adoption, or flexibility in the event of a disaster or emergency. Additionally, most employees are entitled to time off at full pay for certain types of active or inactive duty in the National Guard or as a Reservist of the Armed Forces.

Recreation

Some Interior Business Center campuses have on-site facilities that offer recreational opportunities such as basketball, volleyball, fitness centers, and other activities. Specific activities vary from site to site.

Remote Work

IBC offers opportunities for remote work, an arrangement where an employee is not expected to report to an IBC office on a regular and recurring basis. Some job vacancies are announced as a remote position (or option for remote) and there are opportunities for remote work as an IBC employee.

Retirement

New federal employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System. FERS is comprised of a defined annuity; the ;Thrift Savings Plan, a self-directed savings program through multiple investment options similar to a 401(k) plan; and Social Security.

New employees who had previous federal government service may be eligible to participate in the Civil Service Retirement System.

Telework

Telework is an important component of the Interior Business Center's human capital strategy. Our telework program supports the organization's goals by producing cost savings, improving performance and productivity, and helping employees balance work and other life issues. We offer flexible and set telework schedules, depending on the type of work the position performs.

Transportation and Bicycle Subsidy

Employees who use mass transit facilities (subway, rail, bus) or other similar public transportation modes are eligible to receive up to $265 a month to use towards their commuting costs and up to $20 a month for bicycle commuting expenses. This program helps to improve air quality, reduces traffic congestion, and conserves energy by reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles on the road.

Wellness and Fitness Subsidies

Interior Business Center employees are eligible to receive a reimbursement of 50% of their fitness program membership fee up to $275 a year.

Work Life Programs

The Interior Business Center offers a number of programs to support your needs to help balance your work and home life. We have an Alternate Work Schedule program that allows you to adjust your work hours, with supervisory approval, in a number of ways potentially resulting in additional days off and flexible start and end times. Please note certain positions require a fixed work schedule; if applicable, the need for a fixed schedule is annotated in the vacancy announcement.

IBC also has several family-friendly leave policies that allow employees to manage work and home life, for example, to care for a sick family member, during an adoption process or in the event of a disaster or emergency. Additionally, most employees are entitled to time off at full pay for certain types of active or inactive duty in the National Guard or as a Reservist of the Armed Forces.

Based on site and location, employees also have access to additional services to help balance the demands of work and home. The Interior Business Center provides access to free resources, such as seminars, covering a variety of topics including healthy lifestyles, financial planning, eldercare and more.