Fedweek

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OPM will soon ask a sampling of federal employees for their views of their work-related benefits, sending an email inviting them to fill out an online survey that will remain open for a month.

Unlike the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, sent annually to virtually the entire federal workforce and which mainly focuses on the federal work experience, the Federal Employee Benefits Survey asks only about benefits is conducted only sporadically—the last was in 2017—and goes to only a random sample, this time about 50,000.

“The purpose of the FEBS is to measure the importance, adequacy and value of employee benefits to assess if employees believe that the available benefits meet their needs. The FEBS will also help to evaluate whether or not federal employees understand the flexibilities and benefits available to them,” OPM said in a memo to agencies announcing the upcoming survey.

Results of prior similar surveys have shown that about nine tenths of enrollees in the FEHB, TSP and dependent care flexible spending account programs believe those programs meet their needs to a great or moderate extent, while slightly fewer say the same of the FLTCIP, FEDVIP and FEGLI programs. The TSP, retirement benefits and the FEHB have been rated as the most important to respondents, while the flexible spending account program and the TSP have been rated highest in giving good or excellent value.