Every career at the CIA is a rewarding one. In addition to serving your country with the certainty that your work makes a difference, the CIA offers a comprehensive benefits package to reflect the dedication and contributions of our employees.
WORK LIFE BALANCE
HEALTH and WELL-BEING
LONG TERM PLANNING
Work Life Balance
Paid Time Off
Annual Leave
Employees accrue annual leave each leave period to be used for approved absence from work. Annual leave accrual rates are determined by an individual's total years of federal service.
| Years of Service |
Hours/Pay Period |
Days/Year |
| Less than 3 |
4 |
13 |
| 3 but less than 15 |
6 |
20 |
| 15 or more |
8 |
26 |
Employees are allowed to carry a maximum of 30 workdays (240 hours) of accrued annual leave into the next leave year. Employees with overseas service can carry up to 360 hours, and Senior Intelligence Service Officers, up to 720 hours.
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Federal Workforce Flexibility Act (FWFA) — Annual Leave Enhancements
The Central Intelligence Agency in April 2006 adopted portions of the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004. FWFA provides that a newly appointed employee's non-Federal work experience may be creditable in determining the amount of annual leave earned each biweekly pay period. Qualified non-Federal work experience (at least three years) must have been performed in a position with duties that directly relate to the position to which he or she is hired at the CIA.
Work Experience Supplement Form [PDF 117MB*] — THIS FORM SHOULD BE COMPLETED ONLY IF YOU WERE ASKED TO DO SO BY AN AGENCY RECRUITER OR REPRESENTATIVE.
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Sick Leave
Employees accrue sick leave each leave period to be used for personal illness, care of sick family members, adoption, and medical appointments. Full-time employees accrue four hours of sick leave per pay period, or up to 13 workdays per leave year. Unlimited hours of sick leave can be accumulated and carried over to succeeding years.
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Family Friendly Leave
Full-time employees may use up to 40 hours of accrued sick leave each year for routine family care and bereavement purposes. Employees may use up to 64 additional hours (104 total) of their sick leave for family care and bereavement purposes, provided they maintain a sick leave balance of at least 80 hours. Employees may be eligible for the Leave Transfer Programs.
In addition to other paid time off, an employee may be eligible for FMLA leave. 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.
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Medical Leave Bank
Voluntary membership in this program allows employees to maintain a paid leave status during periods of extended personal or family medical emergencies and incapacitation preceding or following childbirth.
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Home Leave
Full-time employees accrue 1.25 days/month, up to 15 days per leave year, of home leave for each year of overseas service.
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Holidays
CIA employees have 10 paid Federal holidays per year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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Alternative Work Schedule and Hours
The CIA allows for flexibility in scheduling working hours and tours of duty for its employees including, but not limited to, gliding schedule, compressed week, variable day and week, flextime, part-time, and job sharing as office needs permit.
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Moving Expenses
The CIA will reimburse new appointees certain costs for personal and dependent travel expenses and shipment of household goods, not to exceed 18,000 pounds. For more information about apartments and housing in the Washington Metropolitan Area, visit Apartment or Home Search.
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Personal and Family Support
CIA work-life programs provide information, make referrals, and answer questions about work concerns or family situations, including child and elder care resources, emergency assistance and counseling. Preparation for overseas assignments is available for both employees and family members.
CIA employees and their families are eligible to participate in services offered by WorkLife4You. For additional information about WorkLife4You, visit WorkLife4You.com. [external link disclaimer]
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Family Advisory Board
The FAB provides a unique opportunity for spouses not employed by the CIA to learn more about the Agency and to play an important role in helping family members and single employees adjust to relocation. Volunteers on the FAB meet with Agency management to discuss employee and family issues and run the Neighborhood Network relocation assistance program.
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Dependent Scholarships
Dependents of CIA employees can apply for scholarships, direct grants and interest free loans offered through the Educational Assistance Program.
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Child Care
The CIA sponsors two NAEYC accredited daycare facilities that accept children who are three months old through pre-kindergarten. One program also offers a full-day kindergarten program. In addition, eligible employees can participate in the child care subsidy program. Referrals to other child care centers are available through WorkLife4You.com.
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Fitness and Recreation Programs
The CIA offers on-site fitness facilities. Through the Employee Association, access to intramural teams as well as sports and theater tickets are available to employees and their families.
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Salary
The CIA offers competitive salaries. In addition to basic pay, in certain circumstances, employees can receive overtime compensation, holiday pay, night differential, Sunday premium pay, bonuses, and allowances.
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Credit Union
The Credit Union is a full-service financial institution with six branches and a 24-hour PC banking program. Membership entitles employees and their families to excellent service, competitive rates, and a full range of services including:
- Free checking, with no minimum balance, no monthly or per item fees, and interest paid on any balance
- ATM access to Credit Union, HONOR/Star, and Cirrus Network ATMs
- Free online banking with bill payer to make transfers, pay bills, view cancelled checks, verify account histories, and more, any time of day or night
- Free direct deposit of your paycheck and payroll deduction options
- Convenience services such as check cashing privileges, bank-by phone service, safe deposit boxes, traveler’s cheques, US Savings bonds, and more
- Competitive rates on savings products and loans
- Mortgage and Equity Loans
- Free Auto Locating Service
- Deposits are federally insured by the National Credit Union Association
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Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program (SLRAP)
The Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) offers a Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program (SLRAP). The program is designed to help employees
repay educational loans that were initiated prior to accepting their employment
with the Agency. The program is open to
CIA staff officers who have six years or less tenure with the Agency and who
have active and current student loans that are not in deferment or forbearance.
Employees approved for participation must sign a written Continued Service
Agreement (CSA) obligating them to complete a specified period of employment
with CIA. A CSA must be signed by an employee for each year that the employee
participates in the program. For purposes of this program, an eligible student
loan is defined as one that was initiated prior to Agency employment from one
of the following: (1) Loan institutions
insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, the District of Columbia
government, a state or U.S. territory, or those insured or guaranteed by a bona
fide educational institution attended by the employee seeking reimbursement;
(2) U.S. commercial institution loans expressly and exclusively for the purpose
of funding, in whole or in part, educational costs.
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Health and Well-Being
Health Insurance
Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP): Employees can choose from the FEHBP list of fee-for-service, health savings accounts, and HMO health insurance plans that vary in costs and benefits. A comparison guide and plan brochures are available at www.opm.gov/insure.
FEHBP does not place limitations on enrollments due to pre-existing conditions; however, employees should carefully review the plans to ensure they select the best coverage for their needs. Employees may change their insurance plan each year during an open season.
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Flexible Spending Plans
A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a tax-favored program that allows employees to set aside pre-tax money from your paychecks to pay for a variety of eligible expenses. Employees can enroll in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account and/or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account. For more information review the FSA Web site at www.opm.gov/insure.
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Life Insurance
Through the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program, the government offers group term life insurance at reasonable rates via payroll deductions. CIA employees have a second option for group term life insurance.
For more information about FEGLI and other life insurance visit www.opm.gov/insure.
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Supplemental Insurance
Supplemental Insurance programs are also available. Payroll deducted insurance plans include Income Replacement, Group Accident, and Long Term Care. For more information about these programs, visit www.opm.gov/insure.
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Long Term Planning
Education and Training
Education and training should be part of every CIA employee's career development. Employees have access to a variety of training programs. All new employees attend a basic orientation, and most receive on-the-job and formal classroom training through a wide variety of internal courses. Employees may also be sponsored for external university and professional training, both full-time and part-time, in programs relevant to their jobs.
The CIA has a complete library with an excellent reference service and an extensive collection of national and international newspapers and periodicals. There is a self-study center and a language school. Monetary awards are available for gaining and maintaining competence in select foreign languages.
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Retirement
New employees without prior Federal service are automatically covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) three-tier system consisting of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), Social Security, and FERS basic benefit. Minimum retirement age under FERS is dependent on date of birth, but ranges from age 55 to 57. After completing five years of qualifying overseas service, FERS participants may be eligible to participate in the FERS CIA Special Category retirement system. FERS Special allows an employee to retire at age 50 with 20 or more years of service.
Additional information about FERS and CSRS is available at www.opm.gov/retire
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Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
The TSP is a retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees. It is one element of the FERS three-part retirement package - TSP, Social Security, and FERS basic benefit - and consists of six investment funds including stocks, bonds, government securities and a lifecycle fund. TSP participants can also borrow from their own TSP contributions and earnings. The Government will automatically contribute one percent and match FERS and FERS Special employee contributions up to five percent of basic salary per pay period. A vesting period applies.
Beginning in 2006, employee contributions to TSP will be subject only to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) elective deferral limit. Visit www.tsp.gov or additional information about TSP.
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Voluntary Investment Plan
This IRS-qualified pension plan (401A) is designed to offer employees an opportunity to supplement their Social Security, retirement annuity, and Thrift Plan contributions. Participants pool their contributions to invest regularly in a tax-deferred program consisting of four investment options. There are no employer contributions.
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Career Transition Planning
The CIA offers an array of services to assist employees with career and transition planning, and also assists employees in making a successful transition into retirement or a second career. Services include career counseling for employees seeking a career change within or outside the CIA, resume review and distribution via an area-wide network of corporate recruiters, job leads with numerous area employers in a variety of industries and functions, as well as pre-retirement workshops.
Resources are available to spouses of new and relocating employees through the LEADS job search resource and counseling program.
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