Lifestyle & Benefits

INL offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that provides quality services to employees and their families. Below is a brief overview of benefit options. Complete details on each plan are subject to provisions for each plan.

Medical, prescription drug and vision exam benefits are provided through Blue Cross of Idaho, MedImpact, and Vision Service Plan (VSP).

There are three options to choose from with varying benefit schedules providing a higher benefit for using in-network providers. Two preferred provider organization (PPO) options offer salary-based deductibles. A consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) option offers fixed-dollar deductibles with the ability to participate in a health savings account (HSA) with a company contribution. All three medical plan options allow access to nationwide in-network providers.

Routine annual vision exams are administered through VSP. Exams may be obtained from any vision care provider, but a higher benefit is provided when a VSP in-network provider is used.

Two dental options are available: one is administered by Delta Dental of Idaho (nationwide network access) and one is offered under a dental maintenance organization (DMO) with Willamette Dental of Idaho. Both dental options include both child and adult orthodontia coverage.

Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) allow an employee to pay for certain unreimbursed health care or dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. Employees who enroll in the CDHP plan are not eligible to participate in a health care FSA, but may participate in a dependent care FSA for qualified day care expenses and health savings account (HSA) on a pre-tax basis to pay for future qualified health-related expenses.

For more information on FSAs and HSAs, visit irs.gov.

INL provides group life insurance at no cost for full-time employees equal to 2.25 times their annual base pay along with 1 times their annual base pay for accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance. Employees may elect to purchase group optional life insurance up to an additional 5 times their annual base pay and optional AD&D insurance up to an additional 10 times their annual base pay. Optional life insurance coverage is also available for an employee’s spouse and eligible dependents. Underwriting limitations may apply for some benefits.

INL provides both short-term disability and long-term disability insurance at no cost to full-time employees. Differing levels of reimbursement for short-term disability depend on the duration of the disability. An employee can pay for a portion of their absence through personal leave (paid time off) if full replacement pay is desired. Otherwise, INL pays a portion and the insurance company pays a portion. Short-term disability benefits are payable for up to six months. Long-term disability insurance will begin to pay benefits after six months of continuous total disability.

The INL Employee Investment Plan offers the opportunity to participate in a 401(k) savings plan with several diverse funds. This plan is administered by The Vanguard Group. New employees receive an INL core contribution equal to 4.2% of their annual base pay. These contributions are 100% vested after three years of service and require no employee contribution.

In addition, up to 6% of an employee’s contributions to the plan are matched by INL. The laboratory matches dollar-for-dollar on the first 3% of base pay contributed by the employee, then 60 cents for each dollar contributed on the next 3% of base pay, for a maximum match of 4.8%. Employees are 100% vested in their contributions and the INL matching amount to those contributions.

Personal leave (PL) may be used for vacation, personal business or absences due to illness or injury. Eligible employees accrue PL on a weekly basis according to the following schedule:

Months of Service Hours Accrued per Week Annual Accrual
0 through 60 2.77 144
61 through 108 3.23 168
109 through 228 3.54 184
229 or more 4.31 224

Employees assigned to desert Site work locations earn 15 additional hours of PL each year.

Eligible employees are also provided with 90 paid hours of scheduled holiday leave and 18 hours of floating holiday leave per calendar year, plus parental bonding leave, military leave and adoption assistance as applicable.

Additional benefits include:
  • Optional prepaid legal insurance
  • Optional Aetna supplemental insurance
  • Employee Education Program
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Optional vision hardware insurance
  • Business travel accident insurance
  • Wellness Program
  • Subsidized transportation to remote sites
  • Backup child care, in partnership with Papa Bear Daycare
  • Tutoring services, in partnership with Tutor.com