Benefits Forms and Information for New Employees

Welcome to all new NIST employees!  We have devoted this web page to provide information and helpful links to you so that you can make informed choices about your benefits options, understand what the deadlines are for enrollment, and click on links for benefits forms.  (Please note:  Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view forms.  Get Acrobat Reader.  If you cannot access these files, please contact Human Resources.)

• Benefits Contact Information
  • Gaithersburg, MD
  • Boulder, CO
• Deposit for Post-1956 Military Service....coming soon
• Designation of Beneficiaries
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Insurance - (Federal Employees Health Benefits - FEHB)
• Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)
• Life Insurance - (Federal Employees Group Life Insurance - FEGLI)
• Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)
• Retirement
• Thrift Savings Plan - (TSP)
• Websites and Phone Numbers for Benefits Information

The Office of Personnel Management has put together a chart with benefits information that all new Federal employees need to know.  Click here to view that chart.

Designation of Beneficiaries

You may designate a beneficiary for your retirement and Thrift Savings Plan accounts, life insurance, and/or unpaid compensation.  By law, if there is no designated beneficiary on file, proceeds will be distributed in the following manner:

1. To your widow or widower
2. If neither of the above, to your child or children in equal shares.  The share of any deceased child is distributed to the descendants of that child.
3. If none of the above, to your parents in equal shares or the entire amount to the surviving parent.
4. If none of the above, to the duly appointed legal representative of your estate.
5. If there is none, to the person or persons entitled under the laws of the State or other domicile where you lived.

If you wish proceeds from any of the above-mentioned accounts to be distributed in any other way, you must complete the appropriate designation of beneficiary form shown below.  (Please note that there is a different form that must be completed for each type of account.)  The links below will take you to forms that are in fillable pdf format.  Please be patient...there may be a slight delay as the form downloads.

• SF-2808, Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)
• SF-3102, Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
• SF-2823, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)
• TSP-3, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) (Once completed, this form should be mailed directly to the TSP.)
• SF-1152, Unpaid Compensation of Deceased Civilian Employee

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Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program

FEHB provides comprehensive health insurance.  As a new employee, you have 60 days to enroll in a health benefits plan.  You can choose from fee-for-service plans, health maintenance organizations, consumer-driven plans, and high deductible health plans.  Generally, premiums for your enrollment are shared by you and your Federal agency.

Your coverage will begin the first pay period after your enrollment form is received.  If you do not enroll within the first 60 days of employment, you must wait until the Federal Benefits Open Season which is held sometime in November/December each year.

For additional FEHB information and helpful links, click here.  To enroll in a health benefits plan, click here for the SF-2809, Health Benefits Enrollment Form.

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Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)

FEDVIP provides comprehensive dental insurance and vision insurance.  You can choose from seven dental plans and three vision plans.  FEDVIP features nationwide, regional, and international plans.  Federal employees pay the entire premium.

New Federal employees have ONE opportunity to enroll in dental insurance and ONE opportunity to enroll in vision insurance as a new/newly eligible employee during the first 60 days of employment.  (Please note:  This 60-day enrollment period does NOT permit you to enroll/cancel/enroll multiple times.)

For additional FEDVIP information and helpful links, click here. 

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Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program

FEGLI provides group term life insurance.  All new employees are automatically covered under Basic life insurance unless you choose to waive that coverage.  Premiums for Basic insurance are shared by you and NIST.  As a n ew employee, you may also elect Optional insurance for you, and/or your eligible family members, and pay the entire premium for that coverage. This election must be made within the first 31 days of employment.

For additional FEGLI information and helpful links, click here.  To waive Basic insurance or elect Optional insurance, click here for the SF-2817, Life Insurance Enrollment Form.

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Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

FSAs allow you to set aside money from your paycheck for certain types of expenses, before taxes are deducted.  When you incur eligible health care and/or child care/elder care expenses, you will receive reimbursement from that pre-tax money.  Enrolling in a FSAs will lower the amount of income tax you pay because the amount you allot to your FSAFEDS account(s) is not taxed.  You can end up saving anywhere from 20% to 40% on eligible products and services.

New Federal employees have a 60-day enrollment period to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account.  (As a new employee, you must enroll prior to October 1 or wait until Federal Benefits Open Season with coverage effective the next benefit year.)

For additional FSA information and helpful links, click here. 

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Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)

FLTCIP offers insurance that helps cover the costs of certain long term care services.  Long term care is the assistance you receive to perform activities of daily living or supervision you receive because of a severe cognitive impairment.  Your premium is based on your age on the date you apply as well as the benefit options you select.

The FLTCIP is medically underwritten.  Certain medical conditions, or combinations of conditions, will prevent some people from qualifying for coverage.  New Federal employees may enroll in Long Term Care insurance within the first 60 days of employment with abbreviated underwriting, or you may enroll at any time full underwriting.

For additional FLTCIP information and helpful links, click here. 

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Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a tax-deferred contribution plan similar to 401K plans offered by private industry employers.  Although optional, TSP is a major component to an employee's overall retirement coverage, particularly those covered under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).  A major advantage of the TSP is that you pay no taxes on contributions or earnings until you withdraw your account.  Similar savings and tax advantages are available in 401(k) plans offered by corporations in the private sector.

Detailed information about the TSP is available at http://www.tsp.gov.  Although there are many publications and booklets to answer your questions on the TSP Forms web page, be sure to review the informational booklet, "Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan," and the "Thrift Savings Plan" before you make any TSP decisions.

There are five TSP funds, and the chapter in the Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan on "Investing in the TSP" describes the funds and discuss their risks and advantages.  All contributions to your account will be invested in the Government Securities and Investment (G) Fund until you direct the TSP record keeper to allocate your contributions differently. 

To begin your TSP contributions, you must complete the TSP-1, Thrift Savings Plan Election Form and submit it to your servicing HR assistant.  Once this form has been submitted and you wish to change the amount of your payroll deduction in the future, you must use the Employee Personal Page.  To allocate your contributions among the five investment funds, use the TSP website at http://www.tsp.gov or call the ThriftLine at (504) 255-8777. 

As a newly hired employee, a TSP account number and password will be mailed to you once you have enrolled and your new account has been established (6-8 weeks after you begin participating or receive agency contributions). 

If you are currently contributing to TSP or have an outstanding TSP loan, notify your servicing Human Resources Assistant.

Provisions for making contributions to TSP differ for each retirement plan as follows:

• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) employees are eligible to contribute any amount or percentage of their biweekly gross pay subject to the IRS maximum allowable rate.  They do not receive any government contributions to their account.

• Individuals covered under Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) may contribute any amount or percentage of their biweekly gross pay subject to the IRS maximum allowable rate.  In addition after a new employee completes the required waiting period, the Federal government will automatically contribute 1% of an employee's biweekly gross pay to the employee's TSP account and match employee contributions up to 5% as shown in the table below:

Employees are able to monitor and make changes to their TSP accounts by visiting the TSP Account Access Website.  Please note that the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has recently changed its contact information.  The new phone number is 877-968-3778, and the forms and correspondence mailing address is now:

Thrift Savings Plan
PO Box 385021
Birmingham, AL 35238

A complete list of TSP-related contact information can be found at http://www.tsp.gov/features/def_ch1-TSP-service-office.html.

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