Benefits, Wage, and Nonappropriated Fund Policy (BW&NAF Policy)
Benefits, Wage and Nonappropriated Fund Policy (BW&NAF Policy) Directorate supports the DOD workforce by delivering Human Resources solutions for the most complex benefits, pay, and work-life balance issues vital to DOD employees, their families, and the agencies that support them. BW&NAF informs and cultivates the importance of HR concepts, principles, and practices that subsequently strengthen its customers' mission. Its goal is to achieve excellence through knowledge. BW&NAF is a diverse and experienced team with the functional expertise needed to oversee benefit programs, provide training, set pay for all Federal Wage System employees, and develop and administer NAF policy and programs for the DoD NAF Component employers and workforce.
BW&NAF Key Functions:
- Benefits and Work-Life Programs: BW&NAF oversees and administers a variety of federal benefits and work-life programs that support the health and well-being of the DOD workforce. Retirement, health care, unemployment/ workers compensation, and other insurance and work-life programs are a part of the vast portfolio. BW&NAF collaborates with the Office of Personnel Management, Department of Labor, and other Federal Agencies to develop legislation and policies which provide comprehensive and competitive benefits programs that support the DOD mission and employee retention. It also provides training and advisory services to internal and external Federal customers. Additionally, it manages the DOD Employee Benefits Advisors Credentialing Program which focuses on the interpretation and application of Federal laws, regulations, and DOD policy and practices within the Employee Benefits functional area.
- Wage and Salary: BW&NAF oversees compensation for the appropriated fund and NAF personnel. It conducts local prevailing rate wage surveys to set the pay for all Federal wage system employees and for employees in the trade, craft, and labor occupations as well as DOD educators, civilian mariners, power generation employees, health care professionals, foreign national pay programs, and white-collar/GS special rates programs. In addition, it provides technical support to the Office of Personnel Management, Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, foreign national programs, Components, DCPAS leadership, and civilian federal agencies.
- NAF Policy: As the only DOD-level office that develops and administers NAF HR personnel policies and programs, BW&NAF provides advisory services to customers within and outside of DOD. It administers the DOD NAF portability of benefits policy for employee moves between NAF and appropriated fund positions or between appropriated fund and NAF positions. Additionally, BW&NAF administers the NAF Health Benefits Program, which includes a self-insured medical benefits plan, a self-insured dental plan, and a stand-alone dental plan managed by a third-party administrator for more than 80,000 employees, retirees, and dependents. The Secretary of Defense has broad administrative authority over most NAF personnel policy, in contrast with the appropriated fund benefits programs which the Office of Personnel Management administers. DOD-wide NAF policy and programs cover a worldwide civilian workforce.
BW&NAF Key Service Areas and Responsibilities:
- Federal Insurance Programs
- Federal Retirement Programs
- Injury Compensation
- NAF HR Policy
- NAF Health Benefits Program
- NAF Retirement Programs
- Portability of Benefits
- Special Salary Rates
- Unemployment Compensation
- Wage Surveys
- Work Life Programs
Benefits, Wage and NAF Policy