Report: Federal pay, benefits double private sector's

govexec.com ^ | August 4, 2006 | Karen Rutzick

[Malacoda]

The probelm is, anyplace he would go, he's start at the bottom of the ladder again...and with two kids, that's a rough pay cut to take. Trust me, he's looked into it -- his job can be frustrating as Hell.

[Centurion2000]

Hey, why do wish to insult tulip bulbs?

I guess because plants don't have lawyers to file discrimination cases ;)

[codercpc]

I am not claiming to understand the statistics used for this study, I will only give you my private impression. I work for a private company that contracts the majority of work through the federal government (VA Hospitals). My company must prove that they pay a salary comparable to what the government would pay for the same worker (union rules). I make 1 1\2 - 2 times the amount that other people in my geographic area make for working with private clinics and hospitals. In fact, I have yet to find a company that's starting pay is anywhere close to what I make at my company. In addition to that, because of the nature of my work (my screen name is and indicator), I work from home (I was only at my corporation headquarters once in 5 years), and have full benefits.

As I said, my circumstance probably isn't comparable to others, but if it wasn't for the federal government's contracting rules (and their unions demands), I could not make what I do now, anywhere else.

[LexBaird]

When I was an Employee Relations Specialist I fired a Federal employee every week.

Then you were only doing a quarter of what you should have been doing. ;^)

[IronJack]

Wow, I sense some hostility there. You OK?

Yeah, I just got the disturbing feeling that you were defending the plague of bureaucrats that daily rob the taxpayer of his hard-earned money. Having been a victim of numerous government deadbeats ... er, I mean "employees," I got a little irate at that thought.

[freespirited]

Does that mean Fed employees are now participating in the same Social Security Grande Ponzi Scheme that the rest of us peons are stuck with?

Yup. Everyone in FERS pays into the Ponzi scheme. Those still under the old Civil Service system do not.

[newcthem]

Just doing the jobs that Americans won't do.

[Help!]

But you said Feds couldn't be fired. I know they can. IF management is willing to put up with some grief. Feds DO have appeal rights out the wazoo which discourages the faint of heart from pursuing some of these issues.

But by and large, in the Agency I work for now, many employees work extra hours for no extra pay and are typically excellent employees. They are highly educated and committed to the mission. There is some deadwood, but they are mostly the "untouchables" because of their status as a member of a "protected category" for EEO purposes.

[newcthem]

As you point out Apples and Oranges....CEO in the private sector produce goods, services and profits. The feds were are and always will be parasites.

[LexBaird]

But by and large, in the Agency I work for now, many employees work extra hours for no extra pay and are typically excellent employees.

The problem is at a higher level, IMHO. There are whole agencies that should be eliminated, from the Cabinet Secretary on down. I truly don't mind paying necessary govt. employees what they are worth. The difference in opinion comes from the definition of "necessary".

[verity]

Rumsfeld is a parasite?

[sphinx]

FERS is defined benefit, a formulaic pension, you get X% of your earnings in Y number of years etc.

The formula is 1% of the average of your highest three years times years of service. If you worked for 40 years and were making $80,000 in your last three years, your FERS pension would be 40 x $800 or $32,000.

I will leave it to you to decide whether that is generous or not for a 40 year middle/upper-middle management employee.

The TSP works just like a 401(k). There's a 1% automatic agency contribution, then a match up to an additional 4% of pay, so the total employer contribution maxes out at 5%.

[babble-on]

I have no idea if its generous or not, just that very few people in the private sector still get any pension at all, and so this benefit probably accounts for a large part of the difference in compensation in the study at the top of the thread.

[jwalsh07]

Who knew?

[Fee]

One thing I did not include in my remarks, was the effects of local job market. A GS-13 makes very good money if one is stationed in West Virginia, but if your VA job is located in Washington DC you are in a world of hurt compared to private industry.

[codercpc]

You might be right on the job locality. I live in a small mid Wisconsin town, and almost all of the work I do comes from large cities.