Question: What is the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)?

Answer: FECA is a law which provides benefits for civilian employees of the United States who have suffered work-related injuries or occupational diseases. These benefits include payment of medical expenses and compensation for wage loss. FECA also provides for payment of benefits to dependents of employees who die from work-related injuries or diseases. However, FECA does not provide retirement benefits. Employees who fully or partially recover from their injuries are expected to return to work. The FECA provides vocational rehabilitation services to partially disabled employees for this purpose.