- Annual Leave
- Compensation
- Family Medical Leave
- Family Employment Health Benefits Plans
- Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)
- Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)
- Life Insurance
- Sick Leave
- Ten Paid Holidays per Year
- Thrift Savings Plan
- Training
- Other Benefits
Annual Leave
Vacation/Personal Leave; maximum ceiling or limitation of accrual is 30 days per leave year for employees assigned to the US; maximum ceiling or limitation of accrual is 45 days per leave year for employees assigned overseas.
- 4 hours per pay period or 13 days per leave year for less than 3 years of federal service
- 6 hours per pay period or 20 days per leave year after 3 years of federal service but less than 15 years
- 8 hours per pay period or 26 days per leave year after 15 years of federal service
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Compensation
Compensation for 3161's is governed by 5 U.S.C. 3161 and other applicable provisions of Title 5 of the United States Code. Authorization for premium pay will be in accordance with governing statutes and Mission overtime policy. The combination of basic pay plus premium pay (overtime pay, compensatory time off, holiday premium pay, night pay and Sunday premium pay) is capped at $135,136 for pay year 2005, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5547. This amount will increase for pay year 2006 when the 2006 pay adjustment is implemented effective January 2006. Premium pay earnings in excess of the premium cap cannot be paid and do not roll over into the following calendar year. This cap includes premium pay earned under any U.S. government appointment during the calendar year.
Under this appointment, 3161 employees will be eligible for post differentials and allowances in accordance with Department regulations. 3161 employees earn the foreign post differential, which is currently 25 percent of salary, after serving 42 continuous days at post. After 42 days, the post differential will be payable back to the first day.
3161 employees will also be eligible to receive danger pay, calculated as a percentage of basic pay for regular duty hours only (currently 25% for Iraq and 15% for Kuwait). Danger pay begins to accrue after four hours of service in-country, and is provided for every hour of regular duty worked at post. Danger pay is terminated when a person leaves country (e.g., goes to Amman for 5 days).
Annual aggregate compensation (basic pay, locality-based comparability payments, premium pay - also subject to the premium pay cap as explained above - and other payments as defined in 5 CFR 530.202) cannot exceed Level I of the Executive Schedule ($180,100 in 2005), in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5307. This amount will increase for pay year 2006. Allowable earnings in excess of the aggregate cap (excluding premium pay) will be rolled over and paid at the beginning of the following calendar year.
The positions are categorized as follows and salary information represents pay year 2004 data:
| BAND |
SALARY RANGE (Includes 15.98% Washington locality rate) |
POSITION TYPES |
| V |
$135,137 - $149,200 |
Senior positions of leadership and/or responsibility. (e.g. Director IRMO, Deputy Director, IRMO) |
| IV |
$ 88,369 - $135,136 |
Expert, supervisor and manager positions (e.g. Senior Consultants, Attorneys) |
| III |
$ 62,886 - $ 97,213 |
Full performance administrative and technical positions (e.g. Budget Analysts, Financial Management Specialists, Information Technology Specialists, Electrical Engineers) |
| II |
$ 43,365 - $ 68,209 |
Technical support and expert administrative support positions (e.g. Engineering Technicians, Office Managers) |
| I |
$ 31,903 - $ 51,036 |
Administrative support positions (e.g. Secretaries, Program Assistants) |
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Family Medical Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 provides Federal employees with an entitlement of up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the following purposes:
- the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and the care of the newborn;
- the placement of a child with an employee for adoption or foster care;
- the care of a child, spouse or parent of the employee with a serious health condition; or
- a serious health condition of the employee that makes an employee unable to perform the major functions of the job.
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Federal Employment Health Benefits Plans
Choice of extensive array of Federal Employment Health Benefits Plans, with costs shared by the Government Employees are eligible to enroll in a wide variety of health insurance plans, including fee-for-service plans and health maintenance organizations. The employee's portion is paid through payroll deductions.
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Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)
The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) provides compensation benefits to federal employees for work-related injuries or illnesses, and to their surviving dependents if a work-related injury or illness results in the employee's death. The FECA is administered by the Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. More information may be obtained at http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/owcp/ca_feca.htm.
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Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)
The Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program is available to eligible federal employees. FEGLI provides group term life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Under FEGLI, basic coverage is equal to the employee's annual basic salary rounded to the next higher thousand plus $2,000 or $10,000, whichever is more in the event an employees dies.
More information can be obtained at http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/.
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Life Insurance
Foreign Service Officers are eligible to participate in the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance plan (FEGLI). The FEGLI plan offers low rates that are paid through payroll deductions. The U.S. Government pays one-third of the cost of this insurance. Participation in the FEGLI plan is voluntary. The plan is intended as a form of immediate protection against financial hardship or loss in the event of death. It is not offered as a form of term life insurance with a cash value, such as might be purchased through private insurance agents.
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Ten Paid Holidays per Year
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King's Birthday
- President's Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veteran's Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
(In addition to the above holidays, the U.S. Government also observes some local holidays celebrated at overseas posts of assignment.)
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Sick Leave
Accrued at a rate of 4 hours per pay period, 13 days per leave year
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Thrift Savings Plan (equivalent to 401(K) with Government Matching)
Foreign Service Specialists may participate in the Thrift Savings Plan; a long-term savings and investment program for federal employees designed to provide retirement income.
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Training
Employees will be required to attend the seven and one half day Diplomatic Security Anti-Terrorism Course (DSAC-Iraq) prior to deployment to Iraq. This training includes an overview of policy objectives and life at post presented by the Bureau of Near East Affairs; country and language familiarization (FSI Area Studies and Language); and Diplomatic Security's Iraq-specific personal security training (emergency medical, weapons familiarization, improvised explosives recognition, hostage survival, chemical/biological awareness, surveillance detection, and coping with stress).
IRMO Deployment will contact employees once they have accepted an assignment with detailed instructions and information on how to complete the deployment process, including scheduling and completing the Model for Overseas Management Support Orientation and In-Processing Program, making travel arrangements and getting the necessary travel documents.
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Other Benefits
The American Foreign Service Protective Association (AFSPA) offers a $15,000 Immediate Benefit Plan (IBP) for direct hire Foreign Service and Civil Service employees of the Department of State.
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Equal Opportunity Employer.
