benefits..docx

MS 744

Attachment D 06/28/11

NON-HOST COUNTRY RESIDENT PSC PRE-CONTRACT COSTS AND BENEFITS

Attachment I

LONG TERM (contract period in excess of 260 work days) Option B Non-Host Country Resident Residing Outside of Host Country and Not within Daily Commuting Distance (Relocation to Host Country Required)

Following are the required pre-contract costs and benefits allowed for non-host country resident long-term personal services contractors who must relocate to the host country to perform the contract. All pre-contract costs are to be itemized and billed by the contractor on his or her first voucher for Peace Corps reimbursement. Contractor must acquire and show proof of payment of all required benefits prior to contract execution.

PRE-CONTRACT COSTS:

Required to be Carried by Contractor

· Medical Emergency Evacuation Insurance - reimbursement for evacuation insurance shall not to exceed $685.00 per year for the PSC or $1,029 a year for a PSC and authorized dependents.

· Reimbursement for the following required insurance not to exceed $50 dollars a month for minimum coverage.

1. Health and Accident ($10,000.00 coverage)

2. General liability, bodily injury and property damage ($25,000.00 coverage)

3. Comprehensive automobile liability insurance ($25,000.00 coverage)

1. Physical Examination: The PSC will be reimbursed 50% of the physical examination cost up to a maximum $300.00. The examination must be performed by a licensed doctor of medicine not more than 90 days prior to the contractor's start date of work under the contract. In addition, the contractor shall provide the following:

A statement from the examining physician that the contractor is physically qualified to engage in the type of activity for which he/she is to be employed under the contract, is physically qualified to reside in the host country, and is free of communicable diseases and any other medical or mental health issues that would impact the ability to perform his/her duties.

Required to be Offered to Contractor

· Express mail—100% of actual Express Mail/Courier/Fax charges associated with the contracted assignment, if required.

· Passport/visa—100% reimbursement for contractor’s and authorized dependents’ passport (including photos) and visa expenses necessary for the assignment.

· Immunizations—100% reimbursement for CDC recommended immunizations for assignment to include contractor and dependents. Peace Corps will provide malaria prophylaxis in-country where medically indicated.

· Airfare —provided by PC to and from post for PSC and authorized dependents.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:

Required to be Offered to Contractor

· Health insurance--reimbursement of the actual cost of PSC's and authorized dependents’ annual health insurance plan not to exceed 50% of the cost and not to exceed the maximum U.S. Government contribution for direct hire personnel. (NTE $2,500 per year for PSC only and $5,000/per year for PSC plus authorized dependents).

· Life Insurance--reimbursement up to 50% of the actual cost of the PSC's annual life insurance costs, not to exceed $500.00 per year. No limit imposed on amount of coverage.

[Note: Dependents of U.S. government employees covered by a spouses' government health or life insurance are ineligible for any Peace Corps PSC health and life insurance contribution. A retired U.S. employee is ineligible for PSC health and life insurance benefits unless it can be shown that the existing coverage excludes overseas coverage.]

· Vacation Leave - The Contractor shall earn four hours of annual leave for each two weeks worked and after three years of fulltime service shall earn six (6) hours annual leave during each two week billing period and after fifteen years of fulltime service shall earn eight (8) hours of annual leave during each two week billing period (all fulltime employment with the U.S. Civil Service (including PC Volunteer time) and all fulltime service as a Personal Service Contractor with Peace Corps in a leave accruing status, are creditable towards eligibility for this accrual rate of six hours annual leave during each two week billing period). Unused annual leave at the end of the contractual relationship will be paid as a lump sum payment. Unused annual leave will be added to any subsequent contract and may be carried forward only up to the maximum allowable at post.

· Sick Leave - The Contractor shall earn four (4) hours sick leave during each two week billing period. Unused sick leave may be carried over under any option period or subsequent contracts. The Contractor will not be paid for sick leave earned but unused at the completion of this or any subsequent contracts. The Contractor shall not be entitled to compensation for days in sick status or in a medical clinic or hospital beyond the amount of the Contractor's accrued sick leave.

· Holidays - Long term PSCs shall also be entitled to take country and U.S. holidays consistent with Peace Corps country policy for regular staff. The contractor shall not be paid any premium or overtime pay in the event he/she has to work on a holiday.

• Credit Hours - The Country Director, at his or her discretion, may establish a written credit hour policy for personal services contractors in accordance with Manual Section 630, section 4.8.1.1.8. Up to 24 hours of earned credit time may be paid out in a lump sum upon contract expiration when no follow-on contract is to be issued, subject to the availability of funding.

• Authorization of Additional Work Hours - Personal services contractors, with advance written approval of the Contracting Officer, may be paid for work hours in excess of his/her basic work requirement resulting from emergency situations. The Contracting Officer shall ensure that funding is available in Post’s budget prior to authorizing additional work hours. Payment of additional hours will be at non-premium contract hourly rates.

· Leave Without Pay - may be granted only with the written approval of the Country Director, Region and Contracting Officer. The Human Resources Management System (HRMS) coordinator shall be notified of authorized Leave Without Pay with a contract modification so the Contractor can be removed from the payment schedule.

· Housing/Utilities - housing arrangements for long term PSC contractors and dependents will be determined by the Peace Corps Country Director based upon local conditions and housing availability. The contractor will not be reimbursed for lodging costs when the contractor resides within a personally owned residence, or the residence of a family member or other person with whom the contractor has a close personal relationship. Utilities, exclusive of telephone, will be paid by the Peace Corps. Telephone costs including installation charges are the responsibility of the contractor except for official charges and installation authorized for medical contractors. Because of the circumstances in individual countries, telephone costs may be included of necessity in a lease cost for the property or billed separately to Peace Corps to facilitate installation of lines.

The following benefits apply to PSCs who leave their country of permanent residence for a Peace Corps contract. These benefits may also be granted to PSCs who leave a third country of temporary residence, based on the circumstances of the contractor’s residence in that country:

· Home Leave - For the first twenty-four (24) months of service abroad, the Contractor shall earn ten (10) days home leave. The Contractor is entitled to home leave if he/she completes twenty-four (24) months of continuous service abroad and if he/she and the Peace Corps agree to extend the contract for an additional twenty-four (24) months of service for a total of at least forty-eight (48) months abroad. If the Contractor completes 48 months of continuous service abroad and the Contractor and Peace Corps agree to a continuation of services for an additional two years under a new contract, the Contractor will be entitled to 10 days of home leave upon execution of the new contract. Subsequent to the initial 48 months of service, the Contractor is entitled to 10 home leave days after completing each twenty-four month period of continuous service abroad and upon agreeing to extend their service thereafter for two additional years. Accrual of home leave days shall begin upon the signing of the base year and Option Year 2 year of each contract.

It is intended that home leave be taken between contract periods. However, under extraordinary circumstances and with the consent of the Country Director, the period in which the home leave must be taken may be extended to include a period of up to six (6) months prior to the completion of the 24th month, or twelve months following the 24th month. If home leave is not used during this period, it will be deemed forfeited and will not be the basis for lump-sum payment. Home leave may be granted in combination with other earned leave at the Country Director's discretion and may only be used to travel to the PSC’s Home of Record (HOR), or to another location in the country of the PSC’s HOR, provided that the cost does not exceed the cost to the HOR. Payments of “cash in lieu” or “constructive travel” arrangements, whereby the traveler would re-route their travel to a destination other than HOR and assign the monies intended for the travel to HOR to pay for all or part of the travel to another location, are prohibited. Peace Corps will provide the Contractor and authorized dependents one round-trip ticket to the Contractor's Home of Record (HOR) or an alternate destination as described above.

Should the Contractor fail to complete a full twenty-four months of continuous service after taking home leave, the Contractor must make a pro rata refund of home leave, travel, and travel allowance costs unless the contract was terminated for convenience of the Peace Corps. The following examples are to be used as guidance for calculating the refund.

If the contractor takes home leave after two years of continuous service and then only returns to Post for 12 of the required 24 months, the rate of refund will be calculated using 48 months as the basis (i.e. If 36 months completed, then 36/48 = 75% time completed toward 48 months. Thus, 25% of all home leave costs must be refunded to the PC).

If the contractor takes home leave between completion of a 48 month contract and upon signing a new contract and then only returns to Post for 12 of the required 24 months, the rate of refund will be calculated using 24 months as the basis (ie. If 16 months completed, then 16/24 = 66% of time completed toward 24 months. Thus, 34% of all home leave costs must be refunded to the PC).

Home leave travel costs and allowances shall be in accordance with Government Standardized Regulations. In conjunction with home leave, an air freight shipment is authorized from post to Home of Record (HOR) and from HOR back to post (see above for air freight weight allowances). If the PSC’s post of assignment is an authorized consumables post, the PSC is also authorized a consumables shipment NTE 2500 lbs from HOR back to post.

Shipment of Household Effects

· Unaccompanied Baggage - (Air Freight)--250 gross (packed) lbs. or 113 kilograms for the PSC, 200 gross (packed) lbs. or 91 kilograms for the first dependent, 150 gross (packed) lbs. or 68 kilograms for the second dependent, and each additional dependent 100 gross (packed) lbs. or 46 kilograms.

· Combined Storage and Shipment of Household Goods and Personal Effects - not to exceed 14,000 net lbs. or 6,350 kilos of which the following amounts may be shipped via sea freight:

2,500 net lbs. or 1,134 kilos for single person 3,500 net lbs. or 1,588 kilos for married with spouse only 500 net lbs. or 227 kilos additional for each dependent

[Note: PSC contractors are responsible for carrying private insurance, at their own expense, against damage to or loss of their shipped and stored personal property. No shipment of private motor vehicles, at Peace Corps expense, is authorized and no reimbursement will be made for such an expense.]

Other Allowances –

· The following allowances may be granted to the contractor and his/her authorized dependents to the same extent and on the same basis as they are granted to Peace Corps' U.S. citizen direct-hire employees at the post by the Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas), as from time to time amended:

· Consumables Allowance

· Payments During Evacuations

The following allowances and costs are not authorized:

· Shipment of Private Motor Vehicles

· Post Differential

· Post Allowance

· Supplemental Post Allowance

· Education Allowance and Educational Travel

· Separate Maintenance Allowance

· Danger Pay Allowance

· Diplomatic pouch or any other ICASS provided service: This means that you do not have access to Embassy facilities or functions.