Federal Employment Compensation Act

The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (“FECA”) covers all federal civilian employees who suffer disability due to a work-related injury, or employment-related disease.  This federal employment compensation act permits compensation to be paid to employees for both personal injuries and diseases that occur in the context of their employment.  Aside from monetary compensation to the disabled employee, FECA provides for rehabilitation, medical care, and surgery as needed.  Plus, if the work-related injury or disease leads to the employee’s death, there are survivors’ benefits available for the employee’s surviving dependent family members. 

FECA Protection

If a work-related injury causes an employee to be temporarily disabled, the employee is entitled to receive up to 45 days of continued wages and/or salary from the agency with which he or she is employed.  If the disability lasts beyond 45 days, the employee becomes entitled to compensation for lost wages under FECA after a three-day waiting period.  However, if the disability is due to an occupational disease or illness, there is not a continuation of pay period; rather, the employee becomes eligible for lost wages after the three-day waiting period. 

Permanent Disability

In cases of permanent disability due to a work-related injury or illness, FECA provides compensation to employees based on a loss of earning capacity and the nature of the disability, in terms of the loss of use of certain body parts, organs, and/or functions.  An employee who becomes permanently disabled in this situation, but who has no dependents, typically receives 2/3 of his or her pre-disability gross wages, tax-free, but if he or she has one or more dependents, the compensation is usually ¾ of his or her pre-disability gross wages, also tax-free. 

FECA Claims

The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, administers FECA through 12 district offices located throughout the United States.  If you are having difficulty with making a claim for compensation under FECA, or your claim has been denied, you should consult an attorney with experience in representing FECA claimants for further assistance.