US Federal Government Employee Benefits

According to data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the federal government employs over 2 million civilian workers. That’s about 1.5 percent of the nearly 133 million workers BLS counted in all industries in the United States. Along with salaries or wages, employee compensation in the federal government includes benefits  such as subsidized health insurance and many more. Federal government employees enjoy a wide range of family-friendly benefits that go far beyond insurance and retirement. Each agency is free to offer its own benefits package. The following is a sample of federal government employee benefits. Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS):  Benefits based on the amount of service and salary history.Thrift Savings Plan (TSP):  In addition to the defined or basic benefits provided by the FERS plan, current federal employees can boost their retirement savings by participating in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP offers the same types of savings and tax benefits as a 401(k) plan.Social Security:  Credit earned while working with the Government. Retirement benefits, disability protection, and survivor protection.  All federal employees hired after 1983 pay Social Security taxes, including the President of the United States, the Vice President, members of Congress, sitting federal judges, certain legislative branch employees, and most political appointees. The government collects these taxes in the same amounts as they would if these employees worked in the private sector at the same salary level.Medicare - Part A:  Available to you at no cost at age 65.Federal Emplo yees Health Benefits Program (FEHB):  No waiting periods, required medical exam, or age/physical condition restrictions.Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI):  Group term life insurance - Basic life insurance and three options (Standard, Additional, and Family).Leave and Holidays:  13 days sick leave each year; 13, 20, or 26 days of vacation leave each year, depending on years of service; 10 days paid holiday each year.Family Friendly Leave Flexibilities:  Flexible Work Schedules; Telecommuting; Family Friendly Leave Policies; Employee Assistance Program (EAP); Part-Time Job Sharing Positions; Child Elder Care Resources Adoption Information/Incentives; Child Support Services.Work/Life Programs:  Every Federal agency has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which has a goal to restore employees to full productivity. More specifically, the EAP provides free, confidential short-term counseling to identify the employees problem and, when appropriate, make a referra l to an outside organization, facility, or program that can assist the employee in resolving his or her problem.Recruitment Bonus:  Lump-sum bonus to newly appointed employees for difficult-to-fill positions. Up to 25 percent  of basic pay may be paid prior to the employee entering on duty. A service agreement with repayment plan if service time not fulfilled.Relocation Bonus:  Lump-sum bonus for difficult-to-fill position in a different commuting area; up to 25 percent  of basic pay. A service agreement with repayment plan if service time not fulfilled.Retention Allowance:  Continuing payment to retain departing employees; up to 25% of basic pay.Employee Development:  Career Resource Centers; Training OpportunitiesStudent Loan Repayment: Permits agencies to repay the student loans of Federal employees; used at the discretion of the agency.Long Term Care Insurance Program: John Hancock and MetLife formed Long Term Care Partners, a jointly owned new company exclusively de dicated to serving the long-term care insurance needs of the Federal Family.Child Care Subsidy Program: Federal agencies, at their own discretion, can use appropriated funds, including revolving funds otherwise available for salaries, to assist lower income federal employees with the costs of childcare.

Essay on The Epidemic of Steroid Abuse in America

The Epidemic of Steroid Abuse in America We as a people are preoccupied with the notion of greatness. Our role models are athletes, actors and actresses, and other figures in the public eye. Many of us often desire to be better off than our current state; to look better, to be in better shape, etc†¦ We compete with each other for jobs, for mates, for grades, for parking spots, and in sporting activities. This competitive nature is a way of life, especially in sporting activities, often learned as a child and built upon throughout adulthood. But where do you draw the line? At what point do the â€Å"costs† of winning or being â€Å"better† outweigh the benefits? Maybe it’s too much when you start putting your own health in serious jeopardy†¦show more content†¦A large majority of users are taking this illegal substance to make themselves â€Å"better†. But athletes who juice are not only cheating, but breaking the law. And, as with most illegal substances, there are serious health reprecussions. Users have different reasons for doping and, subsequently, steroids have different health consequences. Some common side effects from steroid use are the following: acne, genital changes, water retention, yellowing of the eyes and skin; women may experience: male-pattern baldness, decreased breast size, deeper voices, hairy bodies, and menstrual irregularities; men may experience: reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, difficulty or pain in urinating, baldness, and irreversible breast enlargement. But these are just minor setbacks right? One could say that, like those aren’t bad, but researchers have also linked steroid abuse to much more serious risks such as: fatal liver cysts, liver cancer, blood clotting, cholesterol changes, hypertension, stroke, and even heart attack. Despite all these potential problems, many still choose to take steroids. 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TDA 3.6 Promote Equality, diversity and inclusion in work...

STL 3.6 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 1.1 Identify the current legislation and codes of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity. There is various legislation and codes of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity in including: Human Rights Act 1998 – Gives further legal status to the standards on Human Rights that was set out in 1948 with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This highlighted the principle that all humans have the same rights and should be treated equally. This act also sets out the rights of all individuals and allows individuals to take action against authorities when their rights are affected. Every Child Matters 2003 – Every Child Matters was†¦show more content†¦Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) 2001 – This act prevents all educational providers from discriminating against pupils with SEN or a disability. Code of Practice on the Duty to Promote Race Equality 2002 – This is a statutory code which supports the public authorities to meet the duties set out in the Race Relations (amendment) Act 2000. All schools must produce a written race equality policy and include information on practical ways in which schools will work to promote racial equality. Schools need to create policies which show they are working towards the following outcomes: Reducing the gap of educational achievement between different ethnic groups Improving the relationships between different racial groups Improving the behaviour of pupils Promoting greater involvement of parents and community Ensuring staff working in the school reflect cultural diversity of the society Creating an admissions policy which does not discriminate These policies must also include the strategies in which the school use to monitor the difference that the policies make to individuals and the school. Removing Barriers to Achievement: the Governments Strategy for SEN (2004) – This provides framework for schools in order for them to remove barriers and raise achievement of children with SEN. This sets out the government’s vision forShow MoreRelatedTDA 3.2 organisation in schools Essay3183 Words   |  13 Pagesthis helpful. You don’t have to work this way. You can present your tasks in other formats if you wish as long as it demonstrates evidence of the knowledge and understanding. NB: Please ensure that you refer to the unit additional guidance throughout the completion of these tasks. The following units must be completed for achievement of the qualification. Unit ref Unit no Unit title Unit type Level Credit 1 F/601/3327 TDA 3.1 Communication and professionalRead MoreEssay on : Promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion1752 Words   |  8 PagesTDA 3.6: Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in work with children and young people 1. Be able to promote equality and diversity in work with young people. 1.1 Identify the current legislation and code of practice relevant to the promotion of equality and valuing of diversity. SEN code of practice 2001 This act was created to strengthen the rights of SEN children and their parents to a mainstream education. The act was designed to make a difference to the education of SEN childrenRead MoreChildcare: Education and Subject Code Essay43120 Words   |  173 PagesAccreditation Start Date: Ofqual Accreditation End Date: Ofqual Certification End Date: 31/07/2010 31/07/2014 31/07/2016 O:\ASCENTIS\Programmes\Vocational\Educational and Training\Support Staff in Schools\L3 MandatoryOptional Unit Booklet Support Work in Schools.doc ools Qualifications specification.doc Page 1 of 137 Version 2- 28th Feb 2011 Ascentis Level 3 Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools Subject Code: 501/1289/2 Ascentis Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and LearningRead MoreLearning and Social Care Essay examples30870 Words   |  124 PagesCACHE Qualification Specification CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce (QCF) CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce (QCF) CACHE  © Copyright 2011 All rights reserved worldwide.    Reproduction by approved CACHE centres is permissible for internal use under the following conditions: CACHE has provided this Qualification Specification in Microsoft Word format to enable its Centres to use its content more flexibly within their own

Importance OF Innovative Technologies-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Why Good Companies Fail to Thrive in Fast Moving Industries and Discovering New and Emerging Markets. Answer: By nature disruptive technologies need to think out of the box to design their new markets in small and an easier way of using. The companies in this industry use patterns such as differently packaged architectures and using such products with magnetic data storage ability. In addition to that there are other patterns that are used for establishing the improved performance of the technologies. The firms are finding new application that can be used in the market; therefore the companies can sustain the huge forthcoming changes in the market. They are finding new applications which will help the products of the companies involving new features according to the requirements of customers. For sustaining the emerging and new markets the companies also require to collect the new information regarding the market trend. From different kinds of data sources the companies forecast the market trends of the industry so that they can adapt new strategies. Developing relationships with other companies and their executives would also help the companies to expand together and find common strategies for further sustaining in the market. Considering the history of famous companies, it can be seen that the companies tend to combine their manufacturing strategies with a clever designing for having a competitive edge in the market. For the strategy reminiscent, the market innovations are necessary for uplifting the brand within the market place. For instance, Intel corporation has first launched their revolutionary development on the MOS technology for producing the first ever DRAM integrated circuits. Therefore the company became the most profitable business in the year 1995 due to s uch innovations. However at the same time the companies which could not cope up with such technological innovations could not survive in the competitive market. For creating a long life and a sustainable time for the company the companies require thinking beyond their previous technologies and the existing business. Moreover they need to create several opportunities not from the existing ones, rather from the different kinds of innovative technologies according to the market needs. While adapting such innovative strategies for the market improvement, the companies should consider few things such as, the investor and the consumer requirements should be kept first, also while entering a new market, the companies should not wait for the market to expand, rather they should utilize a fresh market for their further business expansion. If the companies do not follow such strategies for their market expansion, so that they can satisfy the market and customer needs. In addition to that the companies should also have a backup plan for each plan; there can be several ideas that can fail however there is a huge difference between the failure of a certain idea and failure of the entire company. There should be experienced and innovative manages who can establish the company in the emerging market. Adapting the disruptive technology with sufficient time and money will be a smart move for the companies in the new markets; otherwise failure of the companies goes higher.

MIS Project SEHA †Abu Dhabi Health Services Company

Executive summary This paper provides a brief but comprehensive analysis of SEHA- Abu Dhabi Health Services Company by looking at various critical elements including its competitive advantage, e-commerce policy, and relationships between the organizations and its suppliers and customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on MIS Project: SEHA – Abu Dhabi Health Services Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A review of the recently implemented IT infrastructure portrays SEHA as a globally competent healthcare provider, but its juvenility leaves room for a few recommendations to attain international status and other objectives. About SEHA SEHA – Abu Dhabi Health Services Company is a public health provider based in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, UAE. It ranks number one in the provision of integrated healthcare services and has â€Å"12 hospitals (2644 beds), 62 ambulatory clinics, and 2 blood banks† (SEHA, 2012). In March this year, the UAE government signed an agreement with SEHA that shall facilitate in the creation of 14 new hospitals. Additionally, SEHA oversees the training and postgraduate education of physicians (interns or fellows) and subject to the aforementioned agreement; it is awaiting accreditation of its educational institution in November this year. Organizational structure: 3 levels of management Board of directors Internal audit office Managing directors Managing directors office Chief executive officer (CEO) CEO Office Strategy Performance and Management Finance Division Information Technology (IT) Division Clinical Affairs Division Operation Management Division Facility Construction Division Corporate Services support Division Business Objectives SEHA looks forward to establishing itself as the Abu Dhabi market leader in the provision of integrated high quality health care services It has every intention of laying a solid foundatio n for Research Development and education within its own ranks, i.e. internally Packaging SEHA as the ideal workplace and winning employee favor and loyalty It intends to attract both local and international investors as well as strategic partners with whom it can expand its effect globally Ensuring patient safety and earning patient trust in its healthcare services Establish and reposition ambulatory care services- mobile or decentralized clinics off base that can cater for a wider population To ensure that its healthcare services are provided effectively and efficiently, it envisages the active management of financial operations Active implementation of Emiritization initiatives with the goal of increasing the number of well-trained emirates engaged by and working under SEHA (SEHA, 2012) Competitive Advantages and Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Rivalry Concentration ratio as one of the measurement criterion of industry concentration indications provided by census shows t he top four firms that dominate a particular market. Healthcare is rather competitive especially due to the attempt at standardization by national (public) and private insurers (Porter, 1998). However, in the past decade, SEHA has ranked number one in the Abu Dhabi polls as the largest integrated public health care provider, with 12 hospitals, 62 clinics, and 2 blood banks; however, the private sector is quickly catching up. Presently, the private sector has captured 45 per cent of the healthcare provision sector and the pay advanced to doctors is more attractive (Ferrier, 2012). SEHA is constantly suffering a shortage of physicians who naturally prefer higher pay.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Threat of substitutes In the healthcare system, this threat is insignificant unless viewed under the lens of generic drugs. As such, SEHA is safe, as it does not specialize in pharmace uticals. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that since it is a public health provider, the services it renders are relatively cheaper than its private sector counterparts are, and thus it has an advantage. Buyers’ Power The healthcare buyers are weak in that they are largely fragmented and none has concentrated power. Therefore, it is difficult for them to create a monopoly (Porter, 1998). However, due to the available competition from the private sector, SEHA is constantly upgrading its services to achieve patient satisfaction. Suppliers Power This area is a real problem for SEHA because the suppliers have a credible forward integration threat that they can push to get buyers like SEHA to divulge some of their profits in the form of raw materials like pharmaceuticals as well as labor. P hysicians’ salaries have increased over the last few years and continue to do so as a shortage of specialists continues to plague the UAE. The causes of this shortage include a prefe rence of the private sector, shortage of non-Emeritus physicians, and the duration of accreditation after the acceptance of an offer-up to six months. Threat of new entrants and entry barriers The healthcare industry is a free market and such there is always the possibility of new entrants. In the UAE, this possibility is even more pronounced as the government is encouraging Emiratis to enter the industry and reduce the dependence on other nations’ specialists (Hamid, 2012). Consequently, the salaries are higher than in other professions such as in oil production (Ismail, 2012). However, SEHA is partly protected from the ramifications of the existing industries in such a scenario because the government regulates services. IT infrastructure and Database SEHA adopted an Oracle Enterprises Resources Planning (ERP) portal a couple of years back to digitize its operations and enhance its accessibility and effectiveness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on MIS Pr oject: SEHA – Abu Dhabi Health Services Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through the Evolutionary Systems (Evosys), an Oracle supplier, the 8-month project was completed in record time, which gave way to a paperless system (SEHA, 2012). Presently, all the affiliate facilities (12 hospitals, 62 ambulatory clinics, and 2 blood banks) are accessible on one database run at the headquarters in the Injazat Data Center. Supply chain management The portal is very elemental in fostering the relationship between SEHA and its suppliers. It includes a tab through which tenders are broadcast and accepted by the organization, which is economically viable as it represents a vertical system of transactions that is executed directly between SEHA and the suppliers. In effect, it cuts out the intermediaries and this move reduces the costs of procurement as well as increasing the efficiency of supply. Customer relationship management SEHA has provided a simplistic customer care portal that allows customer feedback from patients, their families, suppliers, and the resident community to offer complaints or suggestions. It has also put in place a customer care office to deal with all this feedback and report to the source on the outcomes of their contributions. Additionally, it has set up a walk in office at Das Tower, 14th Floor, Sultan Bin Zayed Street (32nd St) Corniche, Khalidiya, open from 7am to 11pm Sunday through Thursday (SEHA, 2012). Alternatively, there is a physical address available at the website for those that would prefer to write via post office. SEHA understands how invaluable customer satisfaction is for the prosperity of the organization. E commerce in general With the new portal in place, SEHA has definitively embraced the digital era. The IT Department is presently working on availing pharmaceuticals for online purchase and delivery upon issuance of a subscription. Moreover, one can also get a diag nosis online and additional medical advice at a fee (SEHA, 2012). The psychiatric department is already established online and counseling sessions are available online for long-distance patients. However, since this phase is just the budding stage of the technological revolution at SEHA, matters of cybercrime are yet to be dealt with and resolved when they come up.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to the sensitive nature of doctor-patient confidentiality, registration for online services is restricted to manual forms at the nearest ambulatory clinics. Recommendations SEHA information system is in dire need of protection from the threat of cyber crime. As hackers and other online predators continue to prowl the web-sphere seeking vulnerable targets, SEHA is an invaluable system because it represents a new category of victims, viz. those with an Arab background. Therefore, due to UAE’s affiliation with oil and terrorist allegations, many users are in jeopardy of losing valuable information and even identity theft that may have grievous repercussions. It follows that SEHA would be wise to shield itself from such intrusions by taking proactive measures. Secondly, SEHA seeks to enter the international market in its expansion endeavors. However, presently, it is customized to satisfy an Arabic populace and it will have to diversify its services further in order to fit in to the global canvas it seeks to occupy. For instance, the working days are presently limited to Thursdays through Sundays leaving out Friday and Saturday. Arguably, most of its patients are Islamic; however, it would be necessary to diversify in order to cater for the needs of non-Muslim patients. Conclusion SEHA is a fast-growing integrated healthcare provider with a great potential for improvement especially due to the government backing it receives from congress. Over the past decade, it has successfully achieved most of the objectives it set out to accomplish from the onset, but it is yet to achieve international status. Additionally, it should set up proactive measures to protect the sensitive data bequeathed under its custody by patients and other individuals and this should inform part of its customer relationship management initiatives. References Ferrier, S. (2012). Doctors’ salaries to jump as competition heats up. The National United Arab Emirates, Retrieved from https://www.thenational.ae/uae/health/fourteen-new-healthcare-facilities-approved-in-abu-dhabi-1.398918#full Hamid, J. (2012). Abu Dhabi: The Question of Health Developments. Journal of  Integrated Healthcare , 16, 345-6. Ismail, M. (2012). Fourteen new healthcare facilities approved in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi  Health Review , 23, 298-99. Porter, M. (1998). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and  Competitors. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. SEHA. (2012). Welcome to SEHA – Abu Dhabi Health Services. Web. This essay on MIS Project: SEHA – Abu Dhabi Health Services Company was written and submitted by user Mauricio U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Creating Shared Value Essays - Social Responsibility, Marketing

Creating Shared Value Essays - Social Responsibility, Marketing Bus 102 Sec 022 Creating Shared Value Shared value is a management strategy that focuses on firms creating business value. This concept is first introduced in the harvard Business article. The author states that there are three ways they we can create shared value. Creating shared value is a concept that is introduced in this article, the definition of creating shared value is the competitive of the firm and the health of our society around are mutually dependent to each other. According to the author, our society is under siege because all sorts of problems involving social, environmental, economic are been viewed as the consequence of business transactions. In recent years, more business has begun to embrace their corporate responsibility, and as a result, many business are been blamed for societys failures. The author explains that one of the biggest part of the problem is companies themselves have outdated approach to value creation. Because customer needs are usually been ignored and insightful thoughts regarding to long-term success are nearly non-existent, many companies fail their financial and societal expectations. The author suggests the solution to this problem lies in the principle of shared value. By creating economic value as well as creating economic value, we can obtain customers trusts and achieve a high societal status. Shared value is not social responsibility or philanthropy, but rather a new way to achieve economic success. Companies like Google, IBM, and Intel have already spent countless effort to create shared value. Government should learn how to regulate using shared value in order to promote a healthier society and increase national productivity. Profit factor should not be the most crucial factor in a cooperation, companies have to spend an equivalent amount of effort to the concept of shared value. Externality can be an factor that helps to create shared value for cooperations. Since the cooperation does not bear the responsibility of external factors such as pollution and global warming, society should exert its pressure by imposing taxes, regulation and penalties. By exerting pressure to corporations, they will internalize these externalities. The benefit of this type of approach can spread the idea shared value and usually does not necessarily raise costs for firms since they can always come up with new innovative technology and effective management in order to reduce the societal harms. The author thinks that the reason why many companies did not embrace the idea of shared value is because in the old time, business serve as the platform to contribute goods and services to society. The profit of the company supports employment, investments and government. This perspective serves as the permeated thinking for the last twenty years. Firms use different marketing strategies to pursue consumers to buy more of their products. As competitions of different firms become more and more fierce, managers becomes more and more morally corrupted. Society receives less and less benefits each time when they buy goods from firms. Companies that do not embrace the idea of shared value become corrupted. The process of creating shared value is also worth mentioning. Companies can create economic value by first achieving societal value. There are three ways to achieve societal value. First, by reconceiving products and markets. Firms must understand thoroughly what the product can bring to their customers and whether if the product can survive in the market. Second, redefining productivity in the value chain. The company should find an equilibrium state by producing a reasonable amount of products that suits the consumers demand. Third, building supportive industry clusters at the company's locations. Companies should product authentic and socially beneficial products to the society. A nice organized government have the right kind of regulation that can encourage companies to pursue shared value. Government regulations serve as the cornerstone for a well-functioning market. Regulations can set goals and stimulate innovations for shared value. Society goals such as regulating energy use, health matters ,or child safety can help companies to set their goals according to the standards. Since there are always competition in the market, companies will exceed their potentials and try to achieve more goals in order to be superior than their competitors. Despite many companies will likely to show compliance to well-constructed regulation, some old mind-set

Discuss Chinas role in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Discuss Chinas role in Africa - Essay Example It comes after the United States and has overtaken the United Kingdom. The growing relationship between China and Africa has been highlighted in two different events. First it took place in November 2006 in Beijing where the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held. The Second one took place in May 2007 in Shanghai. This was known as the annual meeting of the African Development Bank (ADB). This came immediately after the official release of the white paper by Beijing in early 2006 titled China’s Africa policy. It contained the contours of the China’s official policies directed towards the African countries. During the two events, China announced its engagement with Africa. China also made public the relationship which it considers to have mutual benefits basis and that it results in a win -win situation. However, critics have argued that China is taking advantage of the African exports which consists of oil and different raw materials. In return the imports t o Africa consist of Chinese goods which are cheaply manufactured. In fact, critics associate this to the earlier colonial era. It is considered that China’s desire to help Africa stems from their objective of obtaining raw materials and different sources of energy in Africa. According to Dillon (2009), the major objective behind this trade is to improve China’s current economic growth and its new markets of export. The existing trade is of importance to various actors and different African economies. However, proper discussion concerning the consequences of this kind of trade should be put in place. The relations between some African countries and China are deeply developing. China’s successive foreign ministers have visited the African continent yearly in the past 20 years. This frequent high level of exchanges portrays how important the relation between China and Africa is to the Chinese government. China as a country treasure face to face communication especi ally with the African leaders because it enables individuals to have the deepest understanding. There is existence of mutual support between China and African countries on several issues both international and regionally. According to Gries and Rosen (2010), most African countries have been committed in supporting China in different issues. From Africa, China is able to obtain raw materials and in exchange, China offer Africa some full support in various issues including peace, development and trade. In addition, China supports Africa in UN Security Council discussions because it perceives different opinions of the African countries to be of great importance. First, China assists Africa in times of adversity. History helps people know of the past, foresee the future and understand the present. From history, Africa just like the People’s Republic of China has been excluded from the international community. However, China considers Africa its ally and has always come out to sup port some African countries to solve its problems such as war and piracy. This is because of many reasons. First, some African countries supported China to restore its seat at the UN Security Council, which was delayed up to 1971, even though it was a member state that founded the UN. Consequently, African countries voted along with China in the 26th UN general assembly regarding resolution on whether to award PRC or not with the China’