The Department of Defense Virtual Benefits & Work-Life Symposium is a free biennial event hosted by DCPAS. The symposium includes a virtual check-in on the first day, followed by a two-and-a-half-day conference designed for Human Resources Benefits Specialists, and is open to the entire HR community. The program features general and plenary sessions as well as breakout sessions on various Federal Benefits, Work-Life, and Injury and Unemployment Compensation (ICUC) programs. The conference covers topics affecting federal employees, with headlining speakers from government and industry highlighting hot topics and trends during plenary sessions. To name a few, the featured speakers at the symposium include representatives from Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Symposium Resources

• 2023 EOY Report
• Symposium Agenda
• Symposium Brochure

Symposium Registration

Symposium Materials

• Plenary Session Documents
  • Symposium Session Slides
    • Day 1, September 24, 2024
      • 09:45 am - 10:45 am
      • Injury Compensation (IC) Session: HR Issues Impacting the Federal Employee’s Compensation Act (FECA)
      • Nonappropriated Fund (NAF) Session: Personnel System & Portability of Benefits for Moves between Civil Service and NAF Employment Systems
      • Employee Benefits Advisor (EBA) Session: FEHB Family Member Eligibility Verification
      • 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
      • Unemployment Compensation (UC): Unemployment Compensation Basics
      • Work- Life Session: Foundations of a Successful Employee Wellness Program
      • IC Session: Second Opinion Exams
      • EBA Session: FERS Eligibility Workshop (Retirement Determination) -FERS/ FERS RAE/ FERS FRAE
    • Day 2, September 25, 2024
      • 09:45 am - 10:45 am
      • UC Session: Unemployment Compensation Forms and Appeals
      • IC Session: Counseling Injured Workers
      • EBA Session: Creditable Military Service
      • 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
      • IC Session: Loss of Wages- Earning Capacity (LWEC)
      • Work-Life Session: Developing and Implementing a successful Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETO) Program
    • Day 3, September 26, 2024
      • 09:45 am - 10:45 am
      • IC Session: Building Connection Through Communication: Strategies for Success
      • IC Session: Havana Act
      • EBA Session: Approval Process for Special Retirement Position Description (PD)
      • Work-Life Session: DoD Childcare Fee Assistance Program by Heidi Welch, Associate Director for Child and Youth Program Operations, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy