Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q: Where can I obtain a copy of my W-2?

    A: 

    You can view and print your W-2 in myPay.  A copy will also be mailed to your home address of record.  There is a function in myPay to turn off the mailed copy if you do not desire to receive a mailed copy.  

  • Q: How can I verify if my home address is correct?

    A: 

    You can verify the accuracy of your home address by accessing myPay and selecting “Correspondence Address.”  If your address is incorrect, make the change and select “Save.”

  • Q: Who can expect a W-2?

    A: 

    You will receive a W-2 if you are a Federal employee employed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

    If you are not a Federal employee employed by NIH (such as an IRTA, Visiting Fellow,  or Special Volunteer) you will receive a 1099, 1099G, or 1042S. These documents must be obtained from the Office of Financial Management (OFM).  

    For 1099s, contact OFM’s Customer Service number at 301-496-6088.

    For 1099G or 1042S, you may call 301-496-5635.

  • Q: Where can I obtain a copy of a prior year’s W-2?

    A: 

    You can view and print a prior year's W-2 in myPay. If you are separated and no longer have access to myPay, you may submit a Request for Duplicate, Corrected or Prior Year W-2, Wage and Tax Statement Form to your assigned Payroll Liaison in the Leave, Payroll, and Workforce Support Branch. You must indicate on the form whether you want a duplicate W-2 from HHS (prior to pay period 10/2005), DFAS, or both.  Your request will then be forwarded to HHS for processing. Please make sure that the current address and the address to which the W-2 should be sent is correct on the form.

  • Q: How can I get a corrected W-2?

    A: 

    If your W-2 is incorrect, you may submit a Request for Duplicate, Corrected or Prior Year W-2, Wage and Tax Statement Form to your assigned Payroll Liaison in the Leave, Payroll, and Workforce Support Branch.  You must supply a legitimate justification for the correction.  Your request will then be forwarded to HHS for processing. Please make sure that the current address and the address to which the W-2 should be sent is accurate on the form.

  • Q: NIH Training Center’s Retirement Seminars

    A: 

    Pre-Retirement Workshop (FERS)

    Class Dates: See Schedule
    Event: Pre-Retirement Workshop (FERS)

    Pre-Retirement Workshop (CSRS)

    Class Dates: See Schedule
    Event: Pre-Retirement Workshop (CSRS)

    Mid-Career Financial Planning for Retirement Workshop

    Class Dates: See Schedule
    Event: Mid-Career Financial Planning for Retirement Workshop

    Retirement Refresher Workshop

    Class Dates: See Schedule
    Event: Retirement Refresher Workshop

  • Q: How Can I Get In Touch With My Benefits Contact?

    A: 

    Your contact in the Benefits and Payroll Liaison Branch will be able to help you with a variety of issues pertaining to the health and life insurance programs, designating beneficiaries, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), calculating your retirement annuity estimate, working with you to pay a redeposit for prior civilian service if you previously withdrew your retirement funds, paying a deposit for prior civilian or military service for which retirement deductions were not withheld, etc. To find your benefits contact, review our list of contacts. In addition, the Retirement & Employee Benefits Branch (REBB) website has an abundance of information regarding your Federal benefits. Don’t forget to check out the Benefits FAQs.

    Human resource topics not related to your benefits are normally handled by your Client Services Division HR Representative.

  • Q: Why Do I Need A myPay Login and Password?

    A: 

    It is very important to have access to your myPay account so that you can view your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) each pay day to verify that the correct deductions are being withheld and that your leave balances on your LES match the balances in ITAS. You must also use myPay to make changes to your home address, TSP contributions, direct deposit of pay, allotments, Federal tax withholdings, and Open Season health benefits elections. Additionally, some state tax withholdings must be made via myPay. If you move to or from Maryland, you must complete a state tax form for your new state and submit it to the Final Authorizers Unit for processing. However, for movement between other states and/or the District, you must use myPay.

    To access the system, you will need your Login and Password. If you have forgotten your Login or Password, click the "Forgot Your Login ID?" or "Forgot or Need a Password?" link on the left side of the myPay screen. Using this method, your Password can be e-mailed to you if you pre-registered your e-mail address, or it can be mailed to your current home address of record within 7 to 10 business days.

    A second option for requesting a Password is to send a fax to 216-367-3549. You will need to include in your request your name, SSN, a daytime phone number, a copy of your NIH ID Card, and you must sign the fax. Upon receiving your fax, the Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS) will reset your Password using a temporary Password. Your temporary Password will be 8 numbers, the last 4 numbers of your SSN twice. You will not receive a notice from DFAS that your Password has been reset. Simply wait at least two business days before logging into myPay to use your temporary Password. Upon logging in, you will be prompted to reset your Password. Information pertaining to establishing an acceptable Login and Password can be obtained at myPay FAQs.

    If you encounter problems with your Login and/or Password or technical issues using myPay, contact the DFAS Centralized Customer Support Unit toll-free at 1-888-332-7411. This support line is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. They can provide assistance on how to use the options available to you in myPay. They will also provide support for establishing and changing your Login and/or Password.

  • Q: Employment And Income Verification – Use TALX – The Work Number®

    A: 

    TALX The Work Number is an automated system that provides proof of employment and income to verifiers. Workforce Solutions is widely known and used by over 50,000 entities including most major financial institutions, mortgage lenders, leasing companies, and private corporations to verify employment and income status of employees.  The system provides a secure way for verifiers to obtain your employment information and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TALX The Work Number® only provides employment and income verification for current civilian federal employees (not Fellows or Commission Corps). If you are a Fellow, please contact the appropriate supervisor or Program Office for verification.  Former employees may review the benefits page for Former Employees.

  • Q: I am already enrolled in Basic and Options A and B under FEGLI. Can I elect Option C now?

    A: 

    Yes.  Legally married same-sex spouses and children of legal same-sex marriages are now eligible family members, so you may add coverage for them under Option C.  The Option C coverage can only be elected during an Open Season or if you have a Qualifying Life Event.  

  • Q: May I decrease or cancel my FEGLI coverage?

    A: 

    Yes.  Enrollees may decrease or cancel their coverage at any time.  However, there are only certain instances in which you may enroll.

  • Q: Will employees on “leave restrictions” be allowed to apply and receive donations from the Leave Bank?

    A: 

    The Leave Bank Office will consult with the Employee Relations Specialist and make determinations on an individual basis.

  • Q: Can I donate sick leave to the Leave Bank?

    A: 

    No. By law, sick leave cannot be donated to a Leave Bank or a recipient of the VLTP.

  • Q: Can I change my mind after I have donated leave to the Leave Bank and request to have my leave returned?

    A: 

    No. By law, donations to a Leave Bank or to a Leave Recipient cannot be returned to the donor after the donation has been processed.

  • Q: Who is considered a family member for Leave Bank purposes?

    A: 

    A family member means an individual with any of the following relationships to the employee:

    • Spouse, and parents thereof;
    • Sons and daughters, and spouses thereof;
    • Parents, and spouses thereof;
    • Grandparents and grandchildren, and spouses thereof;
    • Domestic partner and parents thereof, including domestic parents of any individual in 2 through 5 of this definition; and
    • Any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
  • Q: What happens to my Leave Bank membership if I resign, retire, or transfer, etc.?

    A: 

    Membership is automatically cancelled when an employee resigns, retires, transfers to another Federal agency, or dies. The cancellation is effective on the date of the action. There is no refund of the membership contribution or leave donation.

  • Q: What is the difference between the Leave Bank and the VLTP?

    A: 

    Both are leave sharing programs that depend on generous annual leave donations to provide paid leave to employees experiencing a personal and/or family medical emergency.  The primary difference is that the VLTP requires a direct donation from the donor to the recipient; whereas, in the Leave Bank Program, donations go into the bank and are distributed by the Leave Bank Board.

  • Q: How and when can I cancel my Leave Bank membership?

    A: 

    You may opt out for the upcoming membership year during the annual open enrollment period using ITAS.

  • Q: Why do we need a Leave Bank in addition to the VLTP?

    A: 

    Under the VLTP, employees in need of leave must rely on friends and co-workers to donate annual leave.  Should these requests for donations go unanswered, the Leave Bank is available. Under the Leave Bank, a reserve of leave hours is available to all Leave Bank members who are approved to be a leave recipient. Some employees choose the Leave Bank because it does not disclose medical emergencies.

  • Q: What period of time is covered by joining the Leave Bank during the open enrollment period?

    A: 

    One leave year, which starts with pay period one of the upcoming leave year and ends with the last pay period of the applicable leave year. If a new employee joins during his/her individual enrollment period, the membership will follow the entry on duty date through the last day of the last pay period of that year.

  • Q: What are the eligibility requirements for becoming a VLTP recipient?

    A: 

    An applicant must:

    • Experience a qualifying medical emergency, which is projected to result in at least 24 hours of non-pay status; and
    • Complete and submit a VLTP form along with supporting medical documentation to the VLTP Coordinator no later than 30 calendar days following the termination of the medical emergency.
  • Q: Can my Leave Bank recipient status be terminated?

    A: 

    Yes, a member’s recipient status can be terminated for:

    • Fraud, that is, falsifying medical documentation;
    • Inability to verify leave used or refusal of verification;
    • Falsifying time and attendance information; and
    • Using donated leave for hours unrelated to the medical emergency.