What Part-Time Employees Need to Know About the FEHB Program

Many career Federal employees work part-time schedules. In these cases, most government agencies do not pay the regular share of the premium. Instead, employees receive a pro rata amount based on their work schedules. For example, an employee scheduled to work 40 hours per biweekly pay period receives only one half of the regular government contribution and must pay the regular employee contribution plus the extra one half, or about two thirds of the total premium cost for the plan. There are many possible part-time schedules. We present comparisons based on 50 percent and 80 percent of the regular work schedule. Almost all part-time employees are reasonably close to one of these scenarios. (A few agencies, including the Postal Service and the FDIC, give part-time employees the same rates as full-time employees.)