Employee Personnel Resource Guide Version 11.26

1 EmployeePersonnelResourceGuideIMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERSE mployee Assistance (EAP) and ..From anywhere toll-free (800) 977-7631 Work-Life ProgramsEmployee Connection, menu 2 TTY (800) 697-0353 Traumatic incident services (managers only)(800) 977-7631 IRS Law Enforcement Personnel Only 1-888-270-8958 Employee Connection ..From work FTS (700) 372-1603 (PIN required for personal information)TTY (513) 263-4600 From home toll-free (800) 829-6007 TTY (800) 382-8169 Employee Express(PIN required) ..From work FTS (478) 757-3085 Employee Connection, menu 2 TTY (478) 757-3117 Help desk (to request PIN) FTS (478) 757-3030 From home toll-free (800) 827-6290 TTY (888) 880-0412 Employee Resource Center ..From anywhere toll-free(866) 743-5748 TTY (866) 924-3578 FAX (901) 546-4597 ThriftLine(PIN required) ..From work FTS (504) 255-8777 Employee Connection, menu 2 TTY (504) 255-5113 TSP Service Office (to speak with a TSP representative)(504) 255-6000 Work Number for Everyone.

2 From anywhere (800) 367-2884(use Employee Connection PIN)Workers Compensation Center ..From work FTS (804) 771-2900 TTY (804) 771-2357 From home toll-free (800) 234-8323 IMPORTANT INTERNET/INTRANET ADDRESSES Employee Assistance Program .. Express .. Personal Page (National Finance Center) .. Personnel Resource Guide .. Resource Center .. Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) .. Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) .. Long Term Care Insurance .. Publishing Division .. Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) .. of Personnel Management (OPM) .. information .. and Health Information Management System (SHIMS) .. Bonds .. Security Administration (SSA) .. Saving Plan (TSP) .. Number for Everyone .. or an Employee , you participate in at least some of the benefits and services thatIRS provides. As a recipient of these benefits and services, you share someresponsibility for understanding them.

3 This understanding is especially impor-tant when it is time to change, access, or take other actions relating to yourbenefits. Follow these steps when you need information or need to take 1:Use this Employee Personnel Resource Guideas your primary tool to researchpersonnel and benefits questions. To get a copy of the Guide , order onethrough Employee Connection (select menu 3; menu 4 for a Braille copy) or through an area distribution center (order Doc. 9669 Catalog ). You can also see theGuideelectronically on the IRS Intranet at 2:If the answer is not in the Guide , call the Employee Resource Center(ERC) at 1-866-743-5748; TTY 1-866-924-3578 or go to their website following iconsappear throughout thisGuideto call attention tocertain items: do it learn it see itTable of ContentsIntroductionEmployee Tools ..1 Automated systems ..1 Employee Resource Center ..1 Employee Express.

4 4 Thriftline ..5 Work Number for Everyone ..6 Official Personnel folder (OPF) ..7 Personal Benefits Statement ..7 Statement of Earnings and Leave ..8 Pay ..9 Your salary and other earnings ..9 Severance pay ..13 Payroll debts owed to the Service ..13 Other indebtedness ..15 Leave ..17 Annual leave ..17 Sick leave ..18 Leave without pay (LWOP) ..21 Excused absence ..22 Military leave ..24 Court leave ..24 Family leave ..25 Leave Bank ..26 Leave Transfer Program ..27 Tardiness ..28 Holidays ..28 Work Schedules ..31 Full time ..31 Seasonal (part-time and full-time) ..32 Intermittent ..32 Job sharing ..33 Part time ..33 Flexiplace ..37 Employee Services ..39 Employee Assistance Program and Worklife Programs ..39 Health services ..43 Your Position ..45 How your position is classified ..45 How you are evaluated (performance management) ..46 Key Feature for Executives, Managers and Management Offices.

5 47 Key Features for Employee (BU & NBU) ..49 Employee Incentive Program ..53 The Employee Suggestion Program ..53 Awards ..53 Insurance ..55 Life insurance ..55 Health insurance ..64 Long Term Care Insurance ..71 Planning for Your Financial Future ..73 The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) ..73 Social Security ..83 Savings bonds ..86 Designating Beneficiaries ..87 Nonpay Status ..93 Workers Compensation Program ..97 Leaving the IRS ..105 Unusual cases of leaving the Service ..105 Schedule of separation actions ..105 How certain benefits are treated ..106 Retirement ..111 Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) ..111 Civil Service Retirement System-Offset (CSRS-Offset) ..122 Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) ..123 How certain benefits are treated ..133 Reemployment After Retirement ..147 Death in Service ..155 National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) Member Benefits.

6 159 Appendix ..163A. BeST (Benefits and Services Team) and TPB (Transactional Processing Branch) Mailing Addresses .163B. Life Events and Your Benefits ..164C. Forms and Other Print Material Available From Employee Connection (menu 3) ..166D. Multimedia Material Available From Employee Connection (menu 4) ..169E. Acronyms Used in This Guide ..170F. Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Enrollment Opportunities ..171G. Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program Enrollment Opportunities ..174H. Certification Form for Foster Children for FEGLI/FEHB Coverage ..180I. Statement of Child Incapable of self-support ..181 Index ..182 Additional information is contained in the NORD/NC VI (IRS Documents6647 and 6648) regarding the Service s policies and practices relating to thefollowing for bargaining unit employees: Leave, Work schedules, Flexiplace, Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, Retirement, Pre-retirement seminars, Workers compensation, Employee Assistance Program, and Part-time THE Employee Resource CENTER (ERC) ANY TIME TOLL FREE AT 866-743-5748; TTY 866-924-3578 OR GO TO THEIR WEB SITE AT ToolsAs an IRS Employee , you have several tools to help you manage and take actions with many of your SYSTEMSE mployee Resource CenterThe Employee Resource Center (ERC) is an organization in Agency WideShared Services (AWSS) that consists of a contact center and an interactive website.

7 The ERC provides an easy method for you to request AWSS informationand services. One key feature is that the toll-free number will connect you tothe ERC and Information Technology Services (ITS). The ERC is designed tomeet the day-to-day administrative needs of the individual IRS ERC will provide you with general information and services for each ofthe AWSS functional units, covering a variety of topics as indicated below: Real Estate and Facilities Public Transportation Subsidy Program,building maintenance, workplace security, mail, printing, photocopying,furniture repairs, etc. Personnel Payroll, Employee benefits, outside employment, retirement,Thrift Saving, etc. Procurement Requisition Tracking System (RTS) Customer Support Travel, Web TRAS, purchase cards, imprest fund andCareer Management & Learning Centers Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Diversity Field Services - EEOpolicy/procedures, reasonable accommodationThere are several easy options for contacting the ERC:Interactive web site: telephone:1-866-743-5748(Hearing 901-546-4597 For new employees, you will receive your Standard Employee Identifier (SEID)by home mail.)

8 You will need your SEID in order to receive personalizedinformation when using the ERC web are many advantages to using the ERC: You have an easy method for obtaining information and requesting servicesfrom AWSS You can access the self-service web site, which provides answers to over 250frequently asked questions You can use the service ticket system to request AWSS information and services You will receive an estimated completion time for your service ticket request You are able to check the status of your service requests online You have the flexibility to choose a method of contact that is convenient for you. do it learn it see it1 Employee ConnectionEmployee Connection is an IRS automated voice response system that providesyou with current general and personalized benefits information. ThroughEmployee Connection, you can: Order forms, brochures, and multimedia items, Receive your personal benefits and payroll information (you will need yourpersonal identification number [PIN] for this information), Hear the addresses of Internet and intranet sites that may be useful to you,and Transfer to other government automated system (such as the ThriftLine orEmployee Express [you will need your PIN to use these systems]).

9 Employee Connection System available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from a touch-tonetelephone. From work FTS (700) 372-1603. TTY (513) 263-4600. From home (800) 829-6007. TTY toll-free (800) 382-8169. For new employees, a PIN will automatically be sent to your home. Thismay take up to four weeks. Employee Connection PIN required for personal information only. If you have forgotten or lost your PIN, select menu 9 to request a new one. If you have recently left the IRS, your PIN is valid for six months from the date you leave but your data is only correct as of the date of separation. See the flowchart on the following page for more information on navigatingEmployee THE Employee Resource CENTER (ERC) ANY TIME TOLL FREE AT 866-743-5748; TTY 866-924-3578 OR GO TO THEIR WEB SITE AT do it learn it see it34 MultimediaRequest6 PersonalPayrollInformation10 Web SiteInformation2 Non-IRSS ystems CallTransfer5 PersonalBenefitsInformation8 Hot News9 PIN Request & DirectoryAssistance3 Forms &BrochuresRequest7 GeneralInformation1 Videos1 Annual Salary1 Headquarters1 ThriftLine504-255-87771 CalculationDataDefinitions1 EmployeeConnectionNews1 EmployeeConnectionPIN Request1 Direct Order byForm Number1 EmployeeConnect.

10 Q&A2 AudioCassettes2 Pay Period/Pay Date2 HumanResources2 EmployeeExpress800-827-62902 ImmediateRetirementAnnuity Est. &Calculator2 Benefits News2 ServicingPersonnelOffice2 Payroll Forms2 Health BenefitsQ&A3 Large PrintFormat3 Step IncreaseDate3 Payroll-Related3 EmployeeAssist. OutDiscontinuedService Retire-ment Estimate& Calculator3 PersonnelNews3 TPB Info3 HealthInsuranceForms3 Thrift SavingsPlan Q&A4 Braille Format4 Leave Balances& Category4 Benefits-Related4 Work Numberfor Everyone800-367-28844 PrintedBenefitsStatement4 Open SeasonNews4 PublicTransportationSubsidyCoordinators4 Life InsuranceForms4 Life InsuranceQ&A5 ElectronicFormat5 Service Keys5 SEID5 RetirementForms5 Job-RelatedQ&A6 Special RequestVoice Mail6 RetirementCode6 Workers CompensationCenter6 Life InsuranceProceeds SavingsPlan Forms6 Workers CompensationQ&A7 ChangeEmployeeConnection PIN7 Severance PayEstimate7 Designation of CompForms8 Life ChangesQ&A9 Thrift SavingsPlan Calculator9 GeneralPersonnelForms9 RetirementQ&A10 ChangeEmployeeConnection PINWELCOME TO Employee CONNECTIONE nter Your SSN1.