Seventh Circuit Employees
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Working in the federal judiciary is a prestigious honor. Whether you are pursuing a career in budget, finance, IT, legal support, or procurement, the court may have just the position for you. |
Forms for New Seventh Circuit Employees
Benefits
Policies
- AO 78 - Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment
- I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification
- FMS 2231 - Fast Start Direct Deposit Form
- Form W-4 - Federal Employee’s Withholding Certificate Form
- Applicable State W-4 Form (determined by state of residence during employment)
- Health Insurance
The Health Benefits Plan offers employees the option to participate in their choice of health insurance plan: a Fee-For-Service Plan, Health Maintenance Plan, Consumer Driven Plan, or High Deductible Plan. Participation in a plan is voluntary. The government shares the cost of the total premium up to 75% regardless of the plan the employee selects. Premiums for enrollees are deducted on a pre-tax basis. Coverage is effective first day of the first pay period following the date election is received.
- Dental Insurance
The The Dental Insurance Program is available to employees and eligible family members on an enrollee-pay-all basis. This program allows dental insurance to be purchased on a group basis, which means competitive premiums and no pre-existing condition limitations. Premiums for enrollees are deducted on a pre-tax basis. Dental Insurance Program is available to employees and eligible family members on an enrollee-pay-all basis. This program allows dental insurance to be purchased on a group basis, which means competitive premiums and no pre-existing condition limitations. Premiums for enrollees are deducted on a pre-tax basis.
- Vision Insurance
The Vision Insurance Program is available to employees and eligible family members on an enrollee-pay-all basis. This program allows vision insurance to be purchased on a group basis, which means competitive premiums and no pre-existing condition limitations. Premiums for enrollees are deducted on a pre-tax basis.
- Life Insurance
The Life Insurance Program is available to all employees. All employees are automatically enrolled in the Basic Option of the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. The life insurance plan also offers employees the option to enroll in three additional levels beyond the Basic level: Standard, Additional, and Family. The Government pays one third of the cost of the employee's Basic term life insurance.
Interested participants can use this life insurance calculator to determine the face value of various combinations of life insurance coverage, calculate the premiums for the various combinations of coverage, and see how choosing different Options can change the amount of life insurance and the premiums, and see how life insurance carried into retirement will change over time.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Under the Student Loan Forgiveness Program , borrowers may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on their eligible federal student loans after they have made 120 payments on those loans under certain repayment plans while employed full time by certain public service employers (including the judicial branch).
- Flexible Benefits Program
The Flexible Spending Account program offers deputy clerks a simple and convenient solution for paying out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. This account consists of the Health Care Reimbursement Account, the Limited Purpose Health Care Reimbursement Account, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.
- Health Care Reimbursement Account: The Health Care Reimbursement Account is used to reimburse costs that are not covered by the medical, dental, or optical portion of the employee's health insurance for themselves, their spouse, or their covered dependents.
- Limited Purpose Health Care Reimbursement Account: The Limited Purpose Health Care Reimbursement Account allows participants to pay for eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision expenses for themselves, their spouse, or their covered dependents. This account is only available to those individuals enrolled in a high deductible health plan.
- Dependent Care Reimbursement Account: The Dependent Care Reimbursement Account is generally used to cover dependent care expenses incurred as a result of the employee and spouse working or seeking employment, or attending school full-time.
- Commuter Benefits Program
Employees are able to pay for certain parking and transit expenses incurred using pre-tax dollars. Employees may set aside a maximum amount per month toward parking and transit expenses according to the Internal Revenue Code.
- Commuter Parking Reimbursement Account: The Commuter Parking Reimbursement Account allows to set aside money on a pre-tax basis for certain parking expenses incurred while commuting to and from work.
- Mass Transit Account: The Mass Transit Account allows to set aside money on a pre-tax basis for certain mass transit expenses incurred while commuting to and from work.
- Transit Subsidy Program
At the beginning of each month, budget permitting, court employees receive a transit subsidy to help offset the cost of public transit expenses incurred commuting to and from work.
- Paid Parental Leave
The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act provides 12 administrative workweeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child for employees covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions. Paid parental leave is substituted for unpaid FMLA leave and is available only during the 12-month period following the birth or placement.
- Annual and Sick Leave
Employees accrue annual (vacation) leave on a graduated basis according to their total years of federal service (civilian and military). Full time employees earn annual leave as follows:
YEARS OF SERVICE AMOUNT OF ANNUAL LEAVE EARNED EACH FULL BI-WEEKLY PAY PERIOD up to 3
4 hours (a total of 104 hours or 13 days per year)
3 to 15
6 hours - except that the accrual rate for the last full bi-weekly pay period in the calendar year is 10 hours (total of 160 hours or 20 days per year)
15 and over
8 hours (a total of 208 hours or 26 days per year)
Federal HolidaysNew Years Day January 1st Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr 3rd Monday in January Birthday of George Washington 3rd Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth National Independence Day June 19th Independence Day July 4th Labor Day 1st Monday in September Columbus Day 2nd Monday in October Veteran's Day November 11th Thanksgiving 4th Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th - Employee Subsidized Retirement
The Federal Employees Retirement Systems (FERS) is a retirement plan with three components including: FERS Basic Benefit, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and Social Security.
- FERS Basic Benefit – The FERS Basic Benefit plan is a defined benefit plan for federal employees that allows you and your agency to contribute part of your pay into a plan that will pay you a monthly pension when you retire.
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) - TSP is a retirement savings and investment plan for federal government. TSP offers the same types of savings and tax benefits that many private corporations offer their employees under 401(k) plans. The judiciary offers contributions-dollar-for-dollar on the first 3% of employee contributions and fifty cents per dollar on the next 2% of employee contributions.
- Social Security - The Social Security Retirement benefit is a monthly check that replaces part of your income when you reduce your hours or stop working altogether.
- Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is provided to all federal employees. EAP is a professional counseling and referral service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Counselors can assist regarding any issue or problem that may arise, including emotional, marital, family, alcohol or drug use, job problems, or financial problems.