OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES


INFORMATION FOR SEPARATING EMPLOYEES

INDEX:

Unemployment Compensation
Accrued Leave
Health Benefits
Life Insurance
Retirement (CSRS and FERS)
Thrift Savings
Outplacement Services Resource Center
House Resume Referral Service
Health Benefits Fact Sheet for Employees Not Returning To The 105th Congress
Ramspeck Act
Unemployment Services
Employee Assistance Transition Services

(Information regarding payment of annual leave is applicable
only to employees of House Officers and Inspector General.)

January 1996

ACCRUED LEAVE FOR SEPARATED EMPLOYEES


(Payment of annual leave is applicable only to employees of House Officers and Inspector General)

Annual Leave:

Lump Sum Payment**

All employees who separate from the service of the House while under the jurisdiction of an Officer may be paid for up to thirty (30) days accrued annual leave. All payments for unused annual leave are based on calendar days, as calculated and certified by the supervisor.

**Reference: FY'96 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, Section 109.

Sick Leave:

Employees who separate from federal service will not receive payment for any unused sick leave.

*Some employees applying for retirement under the Civil Service Retirement System
(CSRS) will receive time credit for the balance of Legislative sick leave.





If you have any questions on leave, please contact the Office of Personnel and Benefits at (202) 225-2450.

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES (UCFE) PROGRAM


THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM is to provide an income for a limited period of time to eligible unemployed federal civilian workers to help them meet their basic needs while searching for employment.

BENEFITS ARE PAID by the state, through state employment services and unemployment insurance claims offices, from funds provided by the federal government. It is a federal-state cooperative program.

* Regardless of where you live, you will receive benefits from the State, District, or Territory where you were employed, since the location of your last official duty station determines who has jurisdiction over payment. (The District of Columbia has jurisdiction over employees whose last duty station was in the District.)

* You may file your claim at the local employment services office in the state where you live.

* Benefits are paid as a matter of right, and are not based on need.


TO FILE A CLAIM, go to the nearest state employment services office or unemployment insurance claims office. Your claim will be expedited if you take the following documents with you:

* A Standard Form (SF) 8, given to you upon separation;

* Your social security card;

* Your most recent earnings statement; and

* W-2 Forms.

REMEMBER: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS MUST BE REPORTED ON YOUR INCOME TAX RETURN.

If you have any questions regarding unemployment, please contact the Office of Personnel and Benefits at (202) 225-2450.

HEALTH INSURANCE FOR SEPARATED EMPLOYEES

Your health benefits end on the last day of the month in which you separate from employment. However, your coverage is temporarily extended for 31 days after that date at no additional cost.

A separating employee and an employee not entitled to continue enrollment into retirement have two options regarding health insurance continuation upon separation:

* Conversion to an individual policy with the same health carrier. Conversion must be accomplished in the 31-day grace period. Information should be requested directly from the insurance carrier.

* Re-enrollment in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program under the Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCOC) authority. Basic provisions of re-enrollment:

* Your election is effective on the day after the automatic 31-day grace period ends;

* You may elect any plan, except BACE, unless you are covered by it on the date of separation.

* You may continue enrollment up to 18 months from the date of separation;

* You are entitled to change enrollment based on the same criteria as federal employees; and

* You pay 102% of cost of plan (employee contribution, agency contribution & a 2% administrative fee).

* A detailed letter will be prepared upon separation by the Office of Personnel and Benefits explaining the process.

Employees applying for an immediate retirement annuity may continue enrollment in the FEHB provided:
* The employee is currently enrolled in the FEHB, and

* The employee has been continuously enrolled or covered as a family member for at least five years immediately preceding retirement, or if fewer than five years, enrolled since the first opportunity.

The Office of Personnel and Benefits will provide more detailed information upon request and will automatically:
* Prepare the SF-2810, Notice of Change in Health Benefits Enrollment, and provide the employee with the original;

* Prepare a letter for the employee providing information regarding TCOC either upon check-out or through the mail;

* Provide, if requested, the TCOC Comparison Chart and the SF-2809 to the separated employee;

* Maintain TCOC files for three years.
If you have any questions regarding health insurance, please contact the Office of Personnel and Benefits at (202) 225-2450.

LIFE INSURANCE FOR SEPARATED EMPLOYEES

Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) terminates on the effective date of your separation. There is a 31-day automatic temporary extension of coverage beyond that date.

During those 31 days after separating, employees may convert all or part of their insurance to an individual life insurance policy without having to take a medical examination. The type of life insurance policies and premiums are different than FEGLI.

Although employees applying for immediate retirement are also eligible to convert their life insurance to an individual policy, they may also be eligible to continue FEGLI coverage into retirement.

The Office of Personnel and Benefits will provide each employee covered under FEGLI, at the time of separation, with the following conversion information.

* The SF-2819, Notice of Conversion Privilege, which provides basic conversion information and procedures.

Information regarding continuing insurance into retirement will be provided by a Human Resources Specialist in the Office of Personnel and Benefits.




If you have any questions regarding the life insurance program or your conversion eligibility, please contact the Office of Personnel and Benefits at (202) 225-2450.

RETIREMENT

Federal employees covered under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), the CSRS Offset, or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), pay a certain percentage of their salary into the respective retirement funds. Upon separating from federal service, you are eligible to apply for a refund of these retirement deductions. A retirement refund will include any post-1956 military deposit.

RETIREMENT REFUND INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES SEPARATING FROM FEDERAL SERVICE


CSRS and CSRS Offset Employees

Retirement Refund:

* If you have more than five years of civilian federal service, taking a refund of your retirement deductions will temporarily void your eligibility for a deferred retirement. Please see the section entitled "Deferred Annuity".


You may receive a refund of your retirement deductions if you:

* Are separated from federal service for at least 31 consecutive days;

* Are not re-employed in federal service at the time you make application for the refund, and;

* Will not become eligible for a civil service annuity within 31 days of applying.

Upon separation, you may request the refund by filing an SF-2802, Application for Refund of Retirement Deduction (CSRS). If you file the form within 30 days of separation, it should be submitted to:

Office of Human Resources
Office of Personnel and Benefits
263 Cannon H.O.B.
Washington, D. C. 20515-6610

If it has been more than 30 days since your separation, the form should be forwarded directly to:

Office of Personnel Management
Civil Service Retirement System
Employee Service and Records Center
Boyers, PA 16017


FERS Employees

Retirement Refund:

Your eligibility to receive a refund of retirement deductions is the same as for a CSRS or CSRS Offset employee. As a FERS employee, you will receive a refund of the amount of your retirement deductions, plus interest.

* Payment of a refund of your Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
deductions will PERMANENTLY void any retirement rights under the system
that are based on the period(s) of FERS service which the refund covers.

Upon separation, you may request the refund by filing an SF-3106, Application for Refund of Retirement Deductions (FERS). If you file the form within 30 days of separation, you should submit it to the Office of Personnel and Benefits at the address shown on the previous page. If you are filing more than 30 days after your separation, the form should be forwarded directly to:

Office of Personnel Management
Federal Employees Retirement System
P.O. Box 200
Employee Service and Records Center
Boyers, PA 16020

If you have any questions regarding retirement refunds, please contact the Office of Personnel and Benefits to make an appointment.


Retirement eligibility information for employees separating from federal service:

Federal employees covered under the CSRS, CSRS Offset, or FERS must meet certain eligibility requirements to be entitled to an immediate annuity upon separation from federal service. The following charts outline these basic requirements. If an employee meets the basic age and length of service requirements, he or she may receive an immediate annuity upon leaving federal employment.


If you believe you are eligible for retirement under either CSRS or FERS, or if you have questions about your retirement eligibility, please contact the Office of Personnel and Benefits at (202) 225-2450.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR AN IMMEDIATE CSRS/CSRS OFFSET ANNUITY

A discontinued service retirement situation exists when an employee is involuntarily separated from their position.

Deferred Annuity:

If you have more than 5 years of creditable civilian service under CSRS at the time of separation, you are eligible at age 62 for a deferred retirement annuity. Receipt of a refund of your retirement deductions voids all future CSRS annuity rights. However, if you subsequently become re-employed subject to a federal retirement system, you will have the right to re-deposit these refunded deductions in order to receive credit for this period of service toward retirement eligibility.

To receive a deferred annuity you must request an "Application for Deferred Retirement", SF-1496A, from the Office of Personnel Management approximately 2 months before reaching age 62. The application may be obtained from OPM at the following address:

Office of Personnel Management
Civil Service Retirement System
Employee Service and Records Center
Boyers, PA 16017

The request must include your name, date of birth, Social Security number, the last employing agency, and the date of separation. Return the completed application as soon as possible to the address indicated above.

Crediting post-1956 active duty military service:

Employees who wish to credit post-1956 military service must make the deposit before separation in order to receive credit for the military service in the computation of an immediate or deferred annuity.


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR AN IMMEDIATE FERS ANNUITY

Under FERS regulations, your year of birth determines when you are eligible for certain types of retirement. This date of eligibility is called the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA). The next page contains a chart which will show you your MRA.

Receipt of a MRA + 10 or a deferred annuity prior to age 62 will result in a reduction in the annuity of 5 percent for each year that the annuitant is under age 62.

Deferred Annuity:
If you have more than 5 years of creditable civilian service at the time of separation, you are eligible at age 62 for a deferred annuity under FERS. If you have more than 10 years of creditable civilian service, you will be eligible for a deferred annuity under FERS at your MRA, which is determined by your year of birth. This package contains a chart which will show you your MRA.

To receive a deferred or postponed annuity you must request a form RI 92-19 "Application for Deferred or Postponed Retirement" from the Office of Personnel Management approximately 2 months before reaching age 62. The application may be obtained from OPM at the following address:

Office of Personnel Management
Federal Employees Retirement System
P.O. Box 200
Boyers, PA 16020

The request must include your name, date of birth, Social Security number, the last employing agency, and the date of separation. Return the completed application as soon as possible to the address indicated above.

Receipt of a refund of your FERS retirement deductions voids all future FERS annuity rights. There is no provision under FERS regulations for redeposit of refunded FERS deductions to regain credit for this period of service. If you transferred to FERS after attaining 5 years of service under CSRS, you may receive a refund of CSRS deductions only and retain entitlement to a FERS annuity.

Crediting post-1956 active duty military service:
Employees who wish to credit post-1956 military service must make the deposit before separation in order to receive credit for the military service in the computation of an immediate or deferred annuity.

MINIMUM RETIREMENT AGE (MRA) SCHEDULE FOR FERS EMPLOYEES


If you were born in: Your MRA is:

Before 1948 55 years

1948 55 years, 2 months

1949 55 years, 4 months

1950 55 years, 6 months

1951 55 years, 8 months

1952 55 years, 10 months

1953 to 1964 56 years

1965 56 years, 2 months

1966 56 years, 4 months

1967 56 years, 6 months

1968 56 years, 8 months

1969 56 years, 10 months

After 1969 57 years

THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN & THE SEPARATED EMPLOYEE

Withdrawal Eligibility:
* You must be separated from government service for more than 31 days to withdraw your account.

* If you have been re-employed by another federal agency within 31 days of your separation from the House, please request the Office of Personnel and Benefits to report you to TSP as transferred rather than separated. Failure to do so may adversely affect your eligibility for immediate continuation of contributions.

* FERS employees who leave government service before satisfying the vesting requirements will have the Agency Automatic 1% contributions and the earnings forfeited to TSP. Most employees become vested after completion of three years of federal civilian service. Legislative employees become vested after completion of two years of federal civilian service.

* Participants are always vested in their own contributions and the earnings on their contributions. FERS Participants are also vested in the agency matching funds and the earnings on them.

Summary:
The Office of Finance will notify the TSP Service Office 31 days following end of the pay period in which the employee separates; however, the TSP Service Office may not post the data until the last day of that month.

Approximately six weeks after the date of termination of employment, the employee will receive a withdrawal options package from Office of Personnel and Benefits containing more complete information on the various options and the necessary forms to obtain them.

Effective March 1, 1995 all participants have the same withdrawal options:
* withdrawal as soon as possible or on a specified date (10% early withdrawal penalty and 20% mandatory Federal Income Tax withholding may apply);

* the purchase of a lifetime annuity,

* a single payment or,

* a series of payments at retirement age or,

* transfer of the balance to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) which will avoid the early withdrawal penalty and continue to defer taxation. You must have 2 years cumulative federal service to be vested (i.e., eligible to receive) in the government 1%contribution.

Accounts with a balance of $3,500.00 or less are subject to an "automatic cash out" unless you notify TSP that you want another option. A TSP-71 will be issued by TSP which you should sign and return to them indicating you are aware of the early withdrawal penalty and tax consequences or your preference for another option.

Account balances are not available from the Office of Personnel and Benefits. You may obtain balance information from the automated THRIFTLINE (504) 255-8777--you will need your social security number and personal identification number (PIN). You may speak with a TSP representative at (504) 255-6000, TDD (504) 255-5133.

If you have further questions regarding TSP, contact the Office of Personnel & Benefits at (202) 225-2450.