PMF Benefits

Social Security Administration, San Francisco Regional Office is located in the Frank Hagel Federal Building in Richmond, CA (about 8.6 miles northwest of Berkeley, 12.7 miles west of Oakland, and 18 miles northeast of San Francisco). As a Regional PMF, you have access to several services at a reduced cost including:

BENEFITS TO FRANK HAGEL FEDERAL BUILDING EMPLOYEES:

Child Care Center (located in the Frank Hagel Federal Building in Richmond, CA) La Petite Academy was established in 1997 as the childcare center serving federal employees and the local community. The center is designed and operated with the highest standards of early childhood practice in mind and seeks to provide nurturing, supportive, educational experiences for the children and families it serves. The center is specially designed for young children. La Petite Academy provides full day care for 70 children from age 3 months to 5 years. The daily activities include, but are not limited to: literature, dramatic play arts, fantasy play, music, dance and movement. Tuition discounts are available to employees. Hours: Monday through Friday 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.  For general information La Petite Academy's website, (enter zip code 94801 for our location at 1221 Nevin Ave; Richmond, CA).

Credit Union
SSA employees anywhere in the Region are eligible for membership in the San Pacific Federal Credit Union.  Located within the Frank Hagel Federal Building (Richmond, CA), Sun Pacific offers a range of financial services including savings and investments, checking, loans, and financing for second mortgages.

Fitness Center
The on-site Fitness Center is a fully equipped facility including The Cardio Theater System with four fifty-two inch TV's.  The Fitness Center is located on the first floor of the Frank Hagel Federal Building. The membership fee is only $23.00 per month. This includes individual fitness assessments, nutritional consultations, express workouts and one-on-one attention. The Fitness Center is furnished with free weights, top of the line weight machines, treadmills, elliptical, upright, recumbent and spinning bikes and stair climbers.  Free Group Exercise classes are offered twice a day for those Fitness Center members who like the motivation.  Whether you are into classes or doing your own routine as you watch the nightly newscast, the Fitness Center is a great place to keep fit.

Group Activities Association (GAA)
GAA provides activities and merchandise to benefit everyone in  the Frank Hagel Federal Building.  GAA offers competitive discounts for Amusement Parks, Movie Theatres, and other entertainment/sporting events.  GAA honors commuter checks for the purchase of tickets from several local public    transportation agencies, such as BART and A.C. Transit.  GAA also organizes outside travel getaways.

Health Unit
The Health Unit  for SSA employees, located in the Frank Hagel Federal Building, provides several services, including emergency care, health education, health consulting, first aid and health assessments. In addition, the Unit conducts ergonomic workstation evaluations when requested by the employee. A nurse is on-duty Monday through Friday.

BENEFITS TO ALL SSA EMPLOYEES:

Locality Pay
As a Presidential Management Fellow in the San Francisco Region, you may be entitled to locality pay (depending on the geographic location in which you work). You may check the salary and locality pay for the GS-9, GS-11, and GS-12 pay levels in the San Francisco Region:
2009 General Schedule & Locality Pay Tables

Annual and Sick Leave

• Employees with 0 – 3 years of Federal Service earn 4 hours of annual leave (vacation time) per biweekly pay period or 13 days per year. 

• Employees with 3 – 15 years of Federal Service earn 6 hours of annual leave per biweekly pay period or 20 days per year.

• Employees with 15 or more years of Federal Service earn 8 hours of annual leave per biweekly pay period or 26 days per year.

• Full-time employees are credited with 4 hours of sick leave for each pay period or 13 days a year, with no limit on total accumulation. 

Credit Hours
Employees are allowed to work from ¼ to 2 credit hours daily after they complete their workday with advance approval from their supervisors.  Credit hours may be used when an employee needs to take time off from work in place of vacation time or sick leave (enabling an employee to have more flexibility in the amount of time off he/she may take).  A full-time employee may carry over no more than 24 credit hours from one pay period to the next. 

Federal Holidays
Employees are entitled to ten paid holidays each year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)
The Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB) is a voluntary health insurance program that offers you the opportunity to choose from a variety of health care plans and options for yourself and your family.  In addition to offering catastrophic protection against unusually large medical bills, the FEHB Program also covers out-patient medical services, hospital visits, prescription drug costs and mental health services.  There are no waiting periods, medical exams or restrictions because of age or pre-existing conditions to qualify for this insurance.  If you decide to enroll in the FEHB Program, the Government will pay a portion of your health insurance premium.  The amount you pay will depend on the price of the particular plan you select and will be deducted from your biweekly salary on a pretax basis.  You are eligible to enroll in FEHB as a new employee or during annual enrollment opportunities, called “Open Season.” You can get more detailed information about the FEHB Program from your personnel office once you agree to become a federal employee or at the OPM website.

Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program
The Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) is a supplemental dental and vision benefits program available to Federal employees and their dependents.  There are no pre-existing condition limitations excluding you from enrollment.  The amount you pay will depend on the price of the particular plan you select and will be deducted from your biweekly salary on a pretax basis.  You are eligible to enroll in the FEDVIP Program as a new employee or during annual enrollment opportunities, called “Open Season.”  Eligible individuals can enroll in a dental plan and/or a vision plan.  Enrollment options include a self-only, self plus one or self and family coverage.

Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) 
All SSA employees are covered under FEGLI Basic Life Insurance, unless waived. FEGLI is equal to an employee's annual basic pay rounded to the next $1,000 plus $2,000. Optional coverage packages are available for additional premium fees.

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS)
FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan consisting of Social Security benefits, a Basic Annuity Plan and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a defined contribution plan similar to the "401K" plans offered by the private sector.  FERS employees may contribute up to the IRS elective deferral limit (for 2009 this limit is $16,500).  The Agency contributes an amount equal to 1% of a FERS employee's basic pay, including locality pay, each pay period.  Additionally, the Agency will match up to 4% of an employee's contributions.

Flex Savings
With the optional Flexible Spending Account (FSA), employees who are eligible for Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) can use pre-tax deductions to pay for certain medical and dental expenses (such as deductibles, co-insurance and co-payments) that are not reimbursed by any other source and not claimed on their income tax return. In addition, employees who choose to participate are eligible to use pre-tax deductions to pay for dependent care expenses that enable them or their spouses to work or seek work.

Employees who elect to participate in FSA will be able to set aside an annual amount of salary to be contributed to their FSA. The agency will deduct contributions from the employee's pay (before taxes) throughout the plan year and will deposit them into the employee's FSA account. For example, an employee may choose to contribute $1,040 to their Health Care FSA and $520 to their Dependent Care FSA. An allotment of $40 and $20 respectively will then be deducted from the employee's bi-weekly check, before taxes, and sent to their FSA account. The employee can then draw upon his or her FSA accounts for reimbursement as s/he incurs eligible expenses.

Long Term Care Insurance
SSA employees are eligible for Long Term Care Insurance as part of a new federal program sponsored by OPM. The insurance is intended to help employees pay for long term care services in the event of an extended illness, injury or age-related disease.  The total premium for this insurance is paid by the employee; no federal government contribution is provided.

Transit Subsidy
A transit subsidy is offered to employees who use public mass transportation while commuting to and from work. Qualified employees are provided commuter vouchers (up to $60 a month) that can be applied to the Bay Area Rapid Transportation  (BART) system or other local transit systems throughout the region. The Frank Hagel Federal Building is located across the street from the Richmond BART Station.