Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) definition
The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) provides medical, disability, and survivor benefits to federal workers injured, made ill, or killed on the job.
The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) provides disability, survivor, and medical benefits to federal workers injured or made ill on the job, regardless of fault. It also pays them to families of federal employees who die from work-related causes. The Department of Labor (DOL) manages FECA, while individual agencies cover the benefit costs for its employees.
In fiscal year 2022–2023, FECA paid $3.3 billion in benefits, including about $2.4 billion in disability benefits, $761 million in medical benefits, and $148 million to the survivors of federal employees.
What does the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act provide?
Provisions of the FECA program includes:
- Basic disability benefits equal to 66% of the injured worker's pre-disability wage (75% if the worker has dependents)
- Disability benefits that continue for the duration of disability or the life of the beneficiary. In the case of traumatic injuries, beneficiaries can continue to receive their full pay for the first 45 days
- Disability benefits for people who incur permanent partial disabilities, such as the loss of a limb, for a defined amount of time
- Coverage of all medical costs related to the disability
- Cash benefits for survivors of employees killed on the job, plus funeral costs
- Vocational rehabilitation to help people return to work
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