Legal Definitions - Federal Employees' Compensation Act

The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) is a United States federal law that provides workers' compensation benefits to federal employees who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their employment. It ensures that these employees receive medical care, wage loss compensation, and vocational rehabilitation services, similar to how state workers' compensation laws protect private sector employees.

Here are some examples illustrating how FECA applies:

• Example 1: Physical Injury on the Job
  A postal worker is sorting mail in a federal post office when they slip on a wet floor, breaking their arm. Because the injury occurred while performing official duties in a federal workplace, FECA would cover the medical expenses for the arm injury, including doctor visits, surgery, and physical therapy. It would also provide wage replacement benefits for the period the worker is unable to perform their duties due to the injury. This demonstrates FECA providing benefits for a physical injury sustained during the course of federal employment.

• Example 2: Occupational Disease from Exposure
  An environmental scientist working for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops a chronic respiratory illness after years of exposure to hazardous chemicals in a federal laboratory, despite consistently following safety protocols. Under FECA, the scientist could file a claim for medical treatment related to the respiratory illness and receive compensation for lost wages if the condition prevents them from working. This illustrates FECA covering long-term health conditions or occupational diseases that arise from the specific duties and environment of federal employment.

• Example 3: Stress-Related Psychological Condition
  A Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital administrator experiences severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after being repeatedly exposed to traumatic events and high-stress situations involving patient care and critical incidents over several years, leading to an inability to perform their job. If a medical professional determines that the PTSD is directly caused or significantly aggravated by the administrator's federal employment duties and not by personal factors, FECA could provide benefits for psychological counseling, medication, and wage replacement. This demonstrates FECA's scope extending beyond physical injuries to include certain psychological conditions that are directly linked to the demands and stressors of federal work.