Here are the basics on what you’ll receive as an IRS employee:

Flexible Work Life Programs

We’re committed to helping you balance your work and family life through these great programs:

• Cafeterias: Hungry? Grab a bite to eat at our on-location cafeterias that serve breakfast and lunch.
• Child Care Subsidy Program: Offered to eligible IRS employees to reduce the amount they pay for childcare by paying subsidies directly to childcare providers. The program is designed to encourage eligible employees and their families to use quality child care services by offsetting a portion of their costs by up to $5,000 per year.
• Credit Unions: We help make banking convenient for you. Many of our facilities have a credit union on premises.
• Employee Assistance and Work/Life Referral Services: If you need help overcoming stressful issues or personal concerns, our Employee Assistance Program is here for you and your immediate family members. Services are confidential and free, around the clock.
• Fitness Centers: Stay in shape at our fitness centers, collocated in more than 25 IRS facilities across the country. There is no membership fee.
• Flexible Hours: Pursue your work opportunities on a schedule that works for you.
• Lactation Program: IRS employees have designated, private space to express their milk. This space can be a health clinic or conference room with a table, chair, electrical outlet and a small refrigerator.
• Leave Share Program: Help others, help yourself. This program allows our full- and part-time employees to donate their leave time. Then, if someone’s regular leave share is exhausted and they need to handle a medical emergency, the leave bank can provide them with more time off.
• On-site Child Care: GSA manages in 31 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We work with them to provide on-site child care at 10 of our IRS facilities.
• On-site Health Care Unit: Flu vaccines, allergy shots, smoking cessation programs and health risk assessments are just a sampling of the health services you can participate in.
• Telework: Your job and work assignments may allow you to work from home or other work sites.
• Transportation Subsidy: We’ll help you pay for your monthly commuting costs to and from work. These benefits are not taxable and are not included on Form W-2.
• More exciting programs coming soon!

Federal Retirement

Although retirement may be in your distant future, you know you’ll need it someday. So launch your career with one of the best retirement systems in the world. The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) is comprised of three components: a basic benefit (annuity), a Social Security benefit, and the Thrift Savings Plan (like a 401(k) plan). In short, FERS:

Allows you to take the Social Security and Thrift Savings Plan components to your next place of employment, even if you leave federal employment.
Provides benefits for retirement, disability and survivors.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Save more of your money by applying it to a tax-lowering Flexible Spending Account that enables you to set aside money for certain health care and dependent care expenses each year.

Health Insurance

Choose from several health insurance options, including supplemental dental and vision.

Health Insurance: FEHB provides health insurance plans to fit you and your family’s needs and budget. The IRS pays approximately 2/3 of your health insurance premium. You may be eligible to carry your health insurance coverage into retirement.
Supplemental Dental and Vision Insurance: Federal Employee Dental and Vision provides insurance to federal employees. You must be eligible for the FEHB program to be eligible to enroll.

Learn more about federal health care insurance options.

Life Insurance

At the IRS, not only do we pay for 1/3 of your basic premium, but basic coverage allows you to elect and pay for optional coverage for yourself or certain family members. You can choose from a wide variety of life insurance coverage through the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance.

Long Term Care

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) lets you plan for healthcare coverage you may need in the future, as well as comprehensive coverage if you become unable to care for yourself. So you’ll have help paying for nursing home, assisted living facility, home health, hospice, respite, and other long-term care services.

The Thrift Savings Plan

Often called the TSP, this plan is similar to the 401(k) savings and tax benefits plans available in the private sector. Here’s how you can build your “nest egg”:

• We’ll set up and automatically contribute 1% of your basic pay toward your Thrift Savings Plan account, whether you contribute to it or not.
• If you do contribute to the TSP, we’ll match your contributions dollar for dollar up to 3%, and 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2%.
• All of your contributions will be made from pre-tax dollars, and your investments and earnings will be tax deferred until you withdraw them.
• Five Thrift Savings Plan investment funds are available for you to choose from.
• You may transfer money from other eligible retirement savings plans into your Thrift Savings Plan account.
• In some cases, you can borrow against your Thrift Savings Plan.
• If you change federal employment, your Thrift Savings Plan will go with you.

Training and Development

You want to improve your skills, grow professionally and attain your career goals. Our goal is to give you all the tools and opportunities to do that. So we’ll encourage you to establish a Career Learning Plan to identify your general, specialty or technical training needs. Then you can take advantage of our wide variety of professional development and training resources, such as:

• On-the-Job Training: Experienced instructors work with you to help you learn the important aspects of your job.
• Classroom Training: Learn what can help you achieve more in your occupation from highly skilled classroom instructors.
• Distance Learning: If you can’t attend classroom training, you may participate in distance learning training options.
• Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Career Development Opportunities: Most organizations within IRS host CPEs each year. You’ll come together with other employees over several days to learn about specialized topics and issues.
• E-Learning: We have a library of more than 2,000 Web-based courses, including Accounting and Finance, Leadership, Computer Software Applications, Customer Service, Project Management, Management, Communication, Human Resources, Team Building, and more. These courses are free for you to take, any time of day.
• Books 24x7 Referenceware: You’ll have full access at work and home to this online library of the best business and technology books. It’s free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.