Federal systems that use the Guides include the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) and the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Federal workers' compensation laws cover all federal employees (including postal workers) and citizens of Washington, DC.
Under FECA, employees are entitled to necessary medical care, wage-loss compensation when the injury disables them from working, and other benefits, including scheduled awards. Benefits are available under this act to federal employees, Peace Corps members, and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers. According to the FECA Compensation Schedule, benefit is given for permanent impairment to specific body parts, including extremities, hearing, vision, and loss of specific organs. Awards are based on a formula of 66⅔% of monthly earnings multiplied by a specified number of weeks' compensation for a specific body part; for the upper extremity, this includes arm, hand, and individual digits. For a more comprehensive review than is possible here of how these systems work, readers are referred to texts available or reviewed elsewhere.