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SICK LEAVE
Employees earn sick leave to use as paid time off from
scheduled work hours. Sick leave may be used for illness, injury,
pregnancy, and medical/dental examinations and treatment . Sick leave is
accrued and credited at the end of each pay period in which it is earned.
There is no limit on the amount of sick leave that an employee can
carryover each year. Sick leave is the best insurance you can have.
How Much Sick Leave Do I Earn?
Family Medical
Leave (FMLA)
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We have dedicated an entire section to Family Medical
Leave. Please Go Here
Briefly: FMLA requires covered employers to provide
up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to "eligible" employees for
certain family and medical reasons. Employees are eligible if they have
worked for a covered employer for at least 1 year, and for 1,250 hours
over the previous 12 months, and if there are at least 50 employees within
75 miles.
Unpaid leave must be granted for any of the
following reasons:
1. to care for the employee's child after birth or placement for adoption or
foster care;
2. to care for the employee's spouse, son or daughter, or parent, who has a
serious health condition; or
3. for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform
the employee's job.
In many cases at the employee's or employer's option, annual or sick leave
may be substituted for unpaid leave.
BENEFITS SUMMARY
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Compensation
In addition to highly competitive basic pay rates, most
Postal Service employees also receive regular salary increases, overtime
pay, night shift differential, and Sunday premium pay. Overtime is paid at
one and one-half times the applicable hourly rate for work in excess of 8
hours per day, or 40 hours within a workweek. Night shift differential is
paid at a specified dollar rate for all hours worked between 6pm and 6am.
Sunday premium is paid at 25 percent for work scheduled on Sunday.
Health Insurance
The Postal Service participates in the Federal Employees Health Benefits
(FEHB) Program, which provides excellent coverage and flexibility with
most of the cost paid by the Postal Service. There are many plans
available, including both traditional insurance coverage and Health
Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). Employee premium contributions are not
subject to most taxes, making health insurance even more affordable
Retirement
The Postal Service participates in the federal retirement program, which
provides a defined benefit annuity at normal retirement age as well as
disability coverage.
Thrift Savings Plan
After a waiting period, career postal employees may contribute to the Thrift
Savings Plan (TSP), which is similar to 401(k) retirement savings plans
offered by private sector employers. Employees contribute to TSP on a
tax-deferred basis, and may receive automatic and matching contributions (up
to 5 percent of pay) from the Postal Service.
Social Security and Medicare
Newly hired postal employees are covered under Social Security and
Medicare.
Life Insurance
The Postal Service offers coverage through the Federal Employees' Group Life
Insurance (FEGLI) Program. The cost of basic coverage is fully paid by the
Postal Service, with the option to purchase additional coverage through
payroll deduction.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Career employees may participate in the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Program after one year of service. Tax-free FSA contributions can be used to
cover most out-of-pocket health care and dependent care (day care) expenses.
Leave
The Postal Service offers a leave program to career employees that includes
annual (vacation) leave and sick leave. For the first 3 years of service,
full-time employees earn 13 days of annual leave per year, increasing to 20
days per year after 3 years of service, and to 26 days per year after 15
years of service. In addition, full- time employees earn 13 days of sick
leave per year as insurance against loss of income due to illness or
accident.
Employee Benefits Listed In USPS ELM -
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