Feds, Which Benefits Do You Love?

The Office of Personnel Management wants to know what federal employees think about their benefits.

OPM will send a survey to a random sample of roughly 40,000 government workers next week “to measure the importance, adequacy and value of employee benefits” and to make sure those benefits are in sync with employees’ needs, according to a Nov. 30 memo from acting Director Beth Cobert.

The agency periodically seeks feedback from the federal workforce on the benefits it receives. The most recent Federal Employee Benefits Survey was conducted in 2013; respondents reported being most satisfied with the Thrift Savings Plan, the government’s 401(k)-style retirement option, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The 2013 survey, which had a 35 percent response rate, found that employees were less satisfied with the government’s flexible spending account program.  

In the 2013 survey, federal employees generally felt they received fair to excellent value for the money they spent on benefits. Respondents said they received the least bang for their buck with dental and vision insurance, with 16 and 12 percent respectively saying the programs offered poor value for the money. Continuing its poor marks across the board, 24 percent fewer respondents felt the FSA program offered a good value compared to 2011.

It will be interesting to see if respondents give FEHBP high marks again, considering the difficulties employees have had navigating the 2015 Open Season. The debut of the self-plus-one option in FEHBP has prompted lots of questions, and long waits for answers from OPM. Open Season ends on Dec. 14.

The survey also will “capture information regarding employee tobacco use and health demographics,” said Cobert’s memo. Many respondents in 2013 said they were not aware of the federal government’s tobacco cessation program.

Before 2013, OPM surveyed the workforce about benefits in 2011, 2006 and 2004. 

(Image via sheff / Shutterstock)