I worked for the government for a dozen years. Our benefits were tremendous, way better than anything from my jobs in private industry.
5 weeks vacation to start, 9% contribution by employer to my 401-k, life time healthcare insurance after 10 years service at age 55, unlimited sick leave, free physicals every year, unused vacation days accumulation up to 2 months, 90% subsidized healthcare insurance, etc.
It has changed a lot. It is still much better than most private employment, but no where as good as it was.
Now it is 1% of pay for every year of employment, you can still can save up to 2 months of annual leave, health care is no longer subsidized, it will contribute up to 5% of you pay in your 401 if you also contribute the same.
You’re such a liar!
Up here in our state many state workers hire their buds to do 10 or finish out 10 for the free healthcare.
And at the upper echelons they promote each other to fatten retirement bennies.
What Agency did you work for? This is nothing like the typical Fed. employee benefits. Which aren’t bad, but I’m clarifying in the interest of accuracy.
New Federal employees earn 104 hours vacation for the first 3 years (and can carry over up to 240 hours).
The government only contributes a max 5% to the 403B plan IF the employee also contributes at least 5%.
No employee earns more than 104 hours of sick leave per year (but can accumulate it unlimited to be added to years of service for retirement) but it is not paid to them if they resign.
Only certain agencies offer physicals (e.g., VA offers TB tests, LEO may do physicals) and that has to do with the mission of the agency - physicals are not a normal benefit.
An employee can keep health insurance into retirement, but the government pays 50-60% of the premium NOT 90% (still not cheap). But the employee has to be eligible for retirement (which they ordinarily are NOT at age 55 with 10 years of service - see below). An employee who quits at age 55 with 10 years of service would be able to continue health insurance for up to 18 months under an equivalent of COBRA with the employee paying the FULL PREMIUM.
To be eligible for retirement, an employee under FERS must be at least 56 with 30 years of service; 60 with 20 years of service; or 62 with 5 years of service. And truthfully, the FERS benefit doesn’t amount to much, the bulk of the benefit resides in the employee contributions to the 403B plus social security.
Also, most Federal workers do not receive much in “bonuses” or “awards,” compared to the private sector (unless they are big wigs). The rank and file get about $1000/yr if they are lucky — most get about $500 or none. Many private sector jobs give hefty bonuses in the tens of thousands.
Those benefits sound embarrassingly good. What made you cast off the golden handcuffs?