The federal pay systems that are applicable to our Federal Civil Service/Technician job advertisements are the General Schedule (GS) and the Federal Wage System (FWS), where the Wage Grade (WG) pay schedules are located.
Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season
Start the second week of November and ends the second week of December
Federal Benefits Open Season Fast Facts
Federal Technicians/NG Title 5 may choose to be covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program.
The GRB Platform is an automated, secure, self-service Web application, controlled by the Army Benefits Center - Civilian (ABC-C), that will allow you to make Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan contribution elections, Military Deposits, review general and personal benefits information, and calculate retirement estimates using a computer. Call them directly at: 877-276-9287
- FREE federal handbooks and guides - employment, pay & benefits, retirement, insurance, medicare, veterans issues
- Employee Benefits Enrollment (GRB Platform)
- Insurance Programs
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
- Retirement Information
- Performance Appraisal Application (PAA)
- Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP)
- Technician/NG Title 5 Feedback Survey
Reservist Differential Information (PowerPoint) (PDF)
Checklist for Reservist Differential (DOC) (PDF)Reservist Differential FAQs
Federal Employees Insurance Program
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Insurance Information
Federal Employees Health Benfits (FEHB) Program: FEHB allows you to choose from among Consumer-Driven and High Deductible plans that offer catastrophic risk protection with higher deductibles, health savings/reimbursable accounts and lower premiums, or Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans, and their Preferred Provider Organizations ( PPO), or Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) if you live (or sometimes if you work) within the area serviced by the plan.
Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI): FEGLI provides group term life insurance consisting of Basic life insurance coverage and three options. If you are a new Federal employee, you are automatically covered by Basic life insurance and your payroll office deducts premiums from your paycheck unless you waive the coverage.
Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS): Lower your taxable income! FSAFEDS offers three different flexible spending accounts (FSAs): a health care flexible spending account, a limited expense health care flexible spending account, and a dependent care flexible spending account. Open Season enrollments are effective January 1 of the following year. Current enrollees must enroll each year as the Enrollment does NOT carry forward year to year.
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP): The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) provides long term care insurance to help pay for costs of care when enrollees need help with activities they perform every day, or you have a severe cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Federal Employees Dental and Vision Program (FEDVIP): FEDVIP offers supplemental dental and vision benefits to Federal employees. Employees must be eligible for the FEHB Program in order to be eligible to enroll in Federal Employees Dental/Vision Program (FEDVIP). It does not matter if they are actually enrolled in FEHB - eligibility is the key.
Your Federal Insurance Benefits - For Active Employees: gives an overview of the five insurance benefits available to Federal employees.
Your Federal Insurance Benefits - For Annuitants and Retiring Employees: gives an overview of the four insurance benefits available to Federal annuitants and talks about how to bring them into retirement.
Performance Appraisal Application (PAA)
The Performance Appraisal Application (PAA) is an online self-service tool accessed via MyBiz+ (for employees) or MyTeam (for rating officials). The PAA is the web-based tool that supports the performance planning and appraisal processes. Employees, rating officials, and higher level reviewers use the PAA to create performance plans and monitor and rate performance.
Introduction/Overview
Performance Appraisal Application (PAA)
How To Guides
Employee How To Guide Printscreens
- Create My Performance Plan
- Add Mission Goals
- Add Critical Elements
- Transfer My Performance Plan to My Rating Official
- Copy an Existing Plan
- Delete Critical Elements
- Update Critical Elements
- Acknowledge My Performance Plan
- Create My Self-Assessment for My Interim Review
- Completing Annual Appraisals
Writing Effective Critical Elements
Writing Effective Self Assessments
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
TSP is a retirement savings plan (similar to a 401K) for both Technicians, AGRs and M-Day/Tradition Soldiers & Airmen. Federal Civil Service/Technicians will use the "Civilian" column on the TSP page and all others will use the "Uniformed Services" column.
You can have a TSP accounts for both, but they will be separate accounts.
Also keep in mind that Civilian accounts can have up to 5% matching agency contributions.
TSP Links: