AGC Employee Benefits

WHO ARE WE?

The mission of the U.S. Army Geospatial Center (AGC) is to coordinate, integrate and synchronize geospatial information requirements and standards across the Army; develop and field geospatial-enterprise enabled systems and capabilities to the Army and the Department of Defense; and provide direct geospatial support and products to Warfighters.  The AGC’s roots are steeped in over 90 years of exceptional service to U.S. Soldiers and the Nation.

WHY JOIN THE AGC TEAM?

Benefits

Salary: Army Geospatial Center employees enjoy a competitive base salary, which is supplemented by locality pay adjustments, annual bonuses, awards, and cost-of-living increases. 

 Career Advancement:

    -  Awards - The AGC has an incentive awards program that is intended to encourage high productivity by acknowledging superior performance. The recognition may be by means of cash awards, special salary increases for performance, or time off from work.
    -  Annual Bonuses - The AGC has an incentive bonus program that is intended to encourage high productivity by recognizing performance and teamwork.
    -  Promotions - The promotion process is used to select the best-qualified individuals for advancement through a fair, equitable, and competitive selection process. The AGC selects employees for promotion based on their demonstrated skills, levels of performance, and performance based potential.

Training Opportunities: AGC employees may participate of outstanding long-term training opportunities to enhance performance and long-term career goals. Training may occur through the Armed Services colleges, universities, exchange programs with foreign ministries, and corporate placement programs. Participation in this program is based on a competitive selection process.

Alternate Work Schedule: Alternate work schedules help employees balance work and family or personal responsibilities by allowing them to work on a compressed schedule, instead of traditional fixed work schedules (e.g., 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week).  This compressed schedule entitles an employee to one paid day off every two weeks.

Leave Benefits:

    -  Federal Holidays - AGC employees receive paid time off during Federal Holidays, including New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Memorial Day.
    -  Annual Leave - Employee may use annual leave for vacations, rest and relaxation, and personal business or emergencies. An employee has a right to take annual leave, subject to the right of the supervisor to schedule the time at which annual leave may be taken.  Annual leave accrual rates vary depending on the length of time invested in Federal service by an employee.
    -  Sick Leave - Full-time AGC employees accrue 4 hours of sick leave for each biweekly pay period.  Part-time teammates earn one hour for each 20 hours in a pay status.  There are no limits on the amount of sick leave that can be accumulated. An employee may use sick leave for:
-  Personal medical needs
-  Care of a family member
-  Care of a family member with a serious health condition
-  Adoption-related purposes
    -  Family Medical Leave Act - Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), most Federal employees are entitled to a total of up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the following purposes:

-  the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and the care of such son or daughter;
-  the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care;
-  the care of spouse, son, daughter, or parent of the employee who has a serious health condition;
-  or a serious health condition of the employee that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her positions.

    -  Voluntary Leave Transfer Program - The Voluntary Leave Transfer Program (VLTP) allows an employee who has a medical emergency to receive transferred annual leave directly from other employees in order to avoid being placed in a leave without pay situation. This allows an employee to continue to receive pay while recuperating from an emergency.
Insurance Benefits:
    -  Health Insurance - The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program is the largest employer-sponsored group health insurance program in the world, covering over 9 million Federal civilian employees, retirees, former employees, family members, and former spouses.  A voluntary program, it is intended to assist you and your eligible family members with expenses of illness and accident, and is paid for through employee and employer contributions. FEHB offers the following advantages and guarantees:
-  An annual opportunity (Federal Benefits Open Season) to enroll in a health benefits plan or change enrollment selection
-  A choice of plans and options with group-rated premiums and benefits
-  Guaranteed protection that cannot be canceled by the insurance carrier
-  Coverage without medical examination or restrictions because of age, current health or pre-existing medical condition
-  No waiting periods after the effective date of enrollment
-  A government contribution toward the cost of your plan (unless you are on a temporary appointment)
-  A payroll deduction method of making premium payments
-  A temporary 31-day extension of coverage after separation from employment, during which you may convert to a private non-group policy
-  Continued enrollment for eligible family members after the death of the employee or annuitant
-  Ability to pay premiums with pre-tax dollars.
    -  Life Insurance - The Federal Government established the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program on August 29, 1954.  It is the largest group life insurance program in the world, covering over four million Federal employees and retirees, as well as many of their family members.
FEGLI provides group term life insurance.  As such, it does not build up any cash value or paid-up value.  It consists of Basic life insurance coverage and three options.  In most cases, if you are a new Federal employee, you are automatically covered by Basic life insurance and your payroll office deducts premiums from your paycheck unless you waive the coverage.  In addition to Basic, there are three forms of Optional insurance that you can elect.  The cost of Basic insurance is shared between you and the Government.

Retirement Benefits:
      -  Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) - Congress created the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in 1986, and it became effective on January 1, 1987.  Since that time, new Federal civilian employees who have retirement coverage are covered by FERS.  FERS is a retirement plan that provides benefits from three different sources:   Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).   The Basic Benefit and Social Security parts of FERS require you to pay your share each pay period.  The AGC withholds the cost of the Basic Benefit and Social Security from your pay as payroll deductions.  The AGC pays its part too.  Then, after you retire, you receive annuity payments each month for the rest of your life.
      -  Basic Benefit (High-3) - Your "high-3" average salary is determined by finding your highest average basic pay over any three year period. The three years must be consecutive. Generally, the final three years of service include the highest pay, but pay from an earlier period can be used if it was higher.

Your basic pay is the basic salary for which retirement deductions are withheld, such as for shift rates, night shift differential, etc. It does not include payments for overtime, bonuses, etc. If you were employed for less than three years and are eligible for a benefit under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), your average salary is determined by averaging your basic pay during all of your creditable civilian service.
    -  Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) - The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees.  Congress established the TSP in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Act of 1986.  The purpose of the TSP is to provide retirement income.  The TSP offers Federal employees the same type of savings and tax benefits that many private corporations offer their employees under "401(k)" plans.  The retirement income that an employee receives from their TSP account will depend on how much the employee (and the agency, for FERS employees) have contributed to the TSP account during the employee’s working years, plus the earnings on those contributions.  FERS employees who contribute up to 5% of their own money will receive agency matching contributions. 
    -  Retirement Credit for Military Service - Military service (Active Duty or Reserve) is creditable towards retirement under FERS.  This includes honorable active service in the following uniformed services: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard and after 06-30-1960, in the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, and after 06-30-1961, service in the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its predecessor agency.
    -  Work/Life Programs, Policies, and Services - Work and Family Employee Assistance Program (EAP)