Benefits and Perks

Vacation: Berkeley Lab offers a vacation accrual program to eligible employees. Eligibility and accrual rates are based on the type of appointment.

Sick Leave: Berkeley Lab offers a sick leave accrual program to eligible employees. Eligibility and accrual rates are based on the type of appointment.

Pay For Family Care and Bonding Leave: Eligible employees who qualify can use this leave for: caring for a family member with a serious health condition; bonding with a new child; military caregiver leave; or qualifying exigency leave.

Employee Assistance Program: The Laboratory offers a free, confidential problem assessment and referral service to help employees deal with personal and work stress problems. Help is provided to employees with child and elder care concerns.

Career Opportunities & Training: The Laboratory encourages career development. Laboratory-sponsored education and training programs are available on and off-site. Eligible employees may receive time off and tuition reimbursement for classes at one of the many universities and colleges nearby. Eligible employees admitted to the University of California may enroll through the reduced-fee program. 

Homeowner/Renters/Auto Insurances: Laboratory employees have access to group rates for auto, renter, and homeowner’s insurance through California Casualty. Employees deal directly with the insurer, and premiums may be paid through payroll deduction. 

Health Services: The Health Services Department has a professional staff of doctors and nurses providing emergency medical care, periodic health evaluations, education, counseling, and other services.

Legal Insurance Plan: This employee-paid plan is designed to help you with preventive, domestic, consumer, and defensive legal services.

Life Insurance: The Laboratory provides free life insurance equivalent to one year’s salary ($50,000 maximum) and $100,000 business travel insurance. In addition, you may purchase up to four times your annual salary in extra life insurance. You may also purchase dependent life insurance.

Employee Resource Groups: ERGs are groups of employees who join together based on shared characteristics or life experiences to provide fellowship, friendship and support, enhance career and personal development and contribute to the organization’s vision and values. At Berkeley Lab, our ERGs also allow employees to participate directly with our ongoing IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, accountability) initiatives and assist in fully integrating IDEA into the Lab’s day-to-day business practices through strategic initiatives and policy-related goals.

Employee Activity Association: The Laboratory supports a broad program of recreational, cultural, and educational activities by special interest groups for the Employee Activities Association (EAA).

Transportation: Berkeley Lab offers a free shuttle bus through the Berkeley campus, Rockridge and downtown Berkeley. The Laboratory offers carpool connections. WageWorks Commuter Benefits enable Lab employees to save money by using pretax dollars to pay for their commuter expenses.

Back-up Care Program: Through Berkeley Lab’s partnership with Bright Horizons, employees no longer have to miss work when their normal care arrangements are unavailable. Employees have access to a comprehensive national network of childcare centers and in-home providers for a child, adult, and elder back-up care needs.

Pet Insurance: The Laboratory offers preferred pricing on pet insurance through Nationwide, and you can enroll anytime. 

Discounts & Memberships: Laboratory employees are eligible for staff pricing at University of California, Berkeley events and facilities; discounts from most cellphone providers for their personal plans.