| Q: When is open season for FEHB (Federal Employees Health Benefit)? |
A: FEHB open season is the 2nd Monday in November until the 2nd Monday is December. The 2017 Federal Benefits Open Season will be from 13 November 2017 to 11 December 2017 this year. |
| Q: What are open season changes to the new coverage of FEHB effective? |
A: The first pay period in January is the effective date of new FEHB coverage. |
| Q: How do I sign up for FEHB (health insurance)? |
A: Go to the GRB Platform, create an account and login. In the "Health Insurance" section, eligible changes can be made with the "Submit a FEHB Transaction" option. For information on health insurance and how to choose the plan that's right for you, take a look at the Resources available on ABC-C. |
| Q: What can I enroll in as a temporary/indefinite/permanent federal technician? |
| Employee Benefits and Who Can Use Them: |
| Employee Benefit: |
Temporary Technicians |
Indefinite/Permanent Technicians |
| FEHB (Federal Employees Health Benefit) |
Yes, if appointed for 90 or more days |
Yes |
| FSA (Flexible Spending Account) |
Yes, only dependent care FSA allowed |
Yes |
| FLTCIP (Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program) |
Yes |
Yes |
| FEDVP (Federal Employees Dental and Vision Program) |
No |
Yes |
| FEGLI (Federal Employees Group Life Insurance) |
No |
Yes |
| TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) |
No |
Yes |
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| Q: What is the different between Health Care FSA, Limited Expense FSA, and Dependent Care FSA? |
A: Health Care FSA is used to pay for qualified medical expenses not covered or reimbursed by your FEHB plan. Limited Expense FSA covers limited dental and vision care services, as well as products that meet the IRS definition of medical care. Only employees that have a HSA-qualified high-deductible health plan (HDHP) and a Health Savings Account (HSA) can enroll. Dependent care FSA is used to pay for eligible child or adult dependent care expenses that are necessary to allow you or your spouse to work, but it does NOT pay for medical care for your dependents. |
| Q: How do I waive or change my FEGLI (Federal Employees Group Life Insurance)? |
A: On the GRB Platform, FEGLI changes can be made under the "Life Insurance" section. |
| Q: What are the requirements to retire from the technician program? |
A: To retire as a federal technician, you must meet age and service requirements. To retire at age 55, you must have 30 years of service. To retire at age 60, you must have 20 years of service. To retire at age 62, you must have 5 years of service. |
| Q: How much leave do I earn? |
A: Leave accrual begins after completion of the initial 90 days as a full-time technician. All employees earns sick leave at the rate of 4 hours per pay period. Annual leave accrual is based off of length of federal employment - For those who have worked 1-3 years as a technician, 4 hours of annual leave are accrued per pay period. For those who have worked 3-15 years as a technician, 6 hours of annual leave are accrued per pay period. For those who have been working more than 15 years as a federal technician, 8 hours of annual leave are accrued per pay period. |
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| Q: What is a Quality Step Increase (QSI) and how does it affect a within-grade increase (WGI)? |
A: If you are a technician in any GS grade level below step 10 of that grade who shows high quality performance you can be rewarded a QSI. The other requirements of a QSI include having a high rating in MyPerformance with no 0's or 1's, have demonstrated sustained performance of high quality, and have not received a QSI within the last 156 consecutive calendar weeks. If a technician is in step 4 or 7, then it will affect their WGI by having the technician have to wait the full waiting period for the new step increase. If the technician is not in step 4 or 7, the QSI will not affect the WGI. |
| Q: What is MyBiz and what can I use it for? |
A: MyBiz is a system that all active employees who have a DCPDS user account can access. It is used to view their HR information, personnel data, pay, leave and benefits, professional development, position information, MyPerformance performance appraisal, and current notification of personnel actions (SF50). |
| Q: When does a recently hired technician register in MyBiz? |
A: A new technician can register into MyBiz 2 weeks after their start date, this allows time for the system to process them in first. |
| Q: How do I get a copy of my employment verification? |
A: Go to MyBiz, login with your CAC. Under "Key Services" click "Request Employment Verification", click to send either employment information or both employment and salary information. Enter an external organization or person's email address and then click continue. Verify the information is correct on the next page, click "Acknowledge and Submit". Then click "yes" on the next page and you are responsible for sending the external organization or person your password. The password will be sent to your email for the PDF document that was sent to their email. |
| Q: What is MyPerformance and when can a new hire start MyPerformance? |
A: MyPerformance is a performance appraisal system where you create, update, and view your performance plans in MyBiz. The appraisal periods are from 1 October to 31 March and 1 April to 30 March. A new hire can start MyPerformance, only if they are a permanent or indefinite technician new hire after serving 12 months (the probationary period) in the same position and then waiting 90 days for the appraisal period to begin. Example: A permanent technician was hired on 20 MAR 17, their probationary period would be until 20 MAR 18. During this time they can create a performance appraisal plan, but it cannot count towards their actual appraisal period. Then the technician would have to wait 90 days, which in this case would be until 19 JUN 18. Resulting in this technician’s appraisal period would the next appraisal period from 1 OCT 18 to 31 MAR 19. |
| Q: What is the SF 50 form used for? |
A: The SF 50 is the Notification of Personnel Action form, it is used to document appointments, verify benefits, and non-competitive status. |
| Q: What is the SF 52 form used for? |
A: The SF 52 is the form used to request changes to your personnel record. It can be used to change your name, address, promotion, resignation, Return to Duty from deployment, or other changes to your record. |
| Q: What is eOPF? |
A: eOPF is a filing system that has electronic folders online storing all your current and past SF50's, SF52's, and other documents from your whole federal career. In the case you don't have access to eOPF you can go to the following site: click on "Accept" and on the next screen click on "Request your eOPF ID". |
| Q: How do I get copies of my eOPF documents after I retire or separate as a federal technician? |
A: Prior to your separation, you should make copies of your eOPF documents and arrange with your HRO office to send copies of late documents not inputted into your eOPF to your mailing address or new federal agency that you are working for. |
| Q: What if HRO no longer has a copy of my eOPF and I cannot access eOPF since I am already separated or retired? |
A: You can get copies of most civilian and personnel medical records on file at NPRC (National Personnel Records Center), via written request signed and dated by mail or fax to: National Personnel Records Center, 1 Archives Drive St. Louis, MO 63138 or Fax: 314-801-9195 or for more information please visit their web site National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). |
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| Q: How long does it take for a section to get a new employee after we have submitted a JVA for a technician position? |
A: The whole process can take up to 120 days for you to get your technician position filled. |
| Q: What is the different between temporary, indefinite, and permanent? |
| Types of Appointments: |
|
Employment Period |
Tenure Group |
Separation |
| Temporary |
Less than 1 year |
0 |
Anytime |
| Indefinite |
1 to 4 years |
3 |
After a 30 day notice |
| Permanent Dual-Status Title 32 |
1 year trial period, then convert to career status |
2 (if in 1 year trial period) 1 (if converted to career status) |
Anytime |
| Permanent Non-Dual Status Title 5 |
3 year probation period then convert to career status |
2 (if in 1 year trial period) 1 (if converted to career status) |
No right to appeal separation. |
Please look over the current Technician Handbook - 2017 for more information. |
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| Q: How do I resign or quit from my technician job? |
A: Submit a resignation letter or the HING Technician Resignation Form to your supervisor and HRO Benefits Section stating the reason for leaving and effective date of resignation. HRO will process the resignation through DCPDS. |
| Q: How do I request a work schedule change? |
A: A work schedule change is needed if a technician is changing form a 5/4-9 to a 5-8's schedule. If you are only changing your work hours, but staying on the same schedule then you do not need to turn in the Work Schedule Change Template to the Human Resources Office. Once we get it at HRO, we send the form to USPFO for processing in ATAAPS. |
| Q: What hours can I work as a technician? (HIARNG) |
A: You can work either the 5/4-9 work schedule or the 5-8's work schedule. The 5/4-9 schedule is when your schedule is set up so that you work 8 hours on Monday, 9 hours Tuesday thru Friday and then the next week you have Monday off, then work 9 hours Tuesday thru Friday. With this schedule your stat time must be before 0900 and end time must be after 1500. The 5-8's work schedule is when you work 8 hours on Monday thru Friday with your stat time before 0900 and end time after 1500. |
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Aloha and Welcome to the Hawaii National Guard Human Resources Office!