Streamlining services for injured federal workers

From prolonged pandemics to sudden disasters, the Department of Labor plays a crucial role in supporting federal workers who get hurt or sick on the job. The department’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, through the Division of Federal Employees’, and Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation, manages and reviews benefits claims for 2.5 million government employees and their families, addressing threats to their income security, health and lives.

OWCP processes $48 million each week in compensation payments, enabling claimants to receive the medical care and financial support they need to recover and potentially return to work. But the system we use to manage this, known as the Integrated Federal Employee Compensation System (or iFECS), is nearly 20 years old and in major need of an upgrade.

Modernizing through TMF

The Labor Department received a $42 million investment from the Technology Modernization Fund to begin the upgrade on this system. This marks the department’s sixth TMF investment, which is an innovative funding model similar to venture capital or seed money, but for government rather than private industry. TMF supports projects like the iFECS modernization to upgrade federal government technology and enhance the ability to deliver services to America’s public efficiently and securely.

Benefits of a cutting-edge claims system

The Office of the Chief Information Officer will use our latest TMF investment to transform iFECS into a secure cloud-based integrated architecture. This support is critical because some system components are so outdated, they cannot be upgraded, while others still require manual inputs that could be automated for greater efficiency. The project will build upon existing modernized components and ultimately decommission the legacy, or older, version of the system.

Benefits of system improvements include:

• Accelerating claim adjudication time by enhancing the compatibility of online systems

• Increasing protection of sensitive data, like federal employee health records, through modern cybersecurity measures

• Improving the customer experience for claimants and department staff through automation and modernization 

• Designing advanced technical capabilities to integrate with the department’s additional workers’ compensation systems in the future

Value for our workforce includes:

• Faster claims processing to determine compensation benefits

• More timely treatment with covered medical expenses

• Improved outcomes for a fuller recovery and potential return to work

Modernizing iFECS directly benefits federal employees, such as firefighters and postal carriers, who provide the government services we rely on. This supports the department’s mission to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of America’s workers, job seekers and retirees.

Learn more about the department’s TMF journey and all six of our investment projects to modernize technology in support of our mission.

Christopher S. Mace is OCIO’s division chief of safety and health systems at the U.S. Department of Labor. Follow OCIO on LinkedIn. Are you interested in joining the OCIO Team? View available positions and apply today!