Code for America’s Best-in-Class Proposal to CfA Workers United

Our Commitment to Our Team and Our Mission

The landscape we’re navigating is challenging. Our mission to modernize government benefits programs faces unprecedented attacks. Government partners are being asked to do more with less as federal resources erode. Families with low incomes are finding it harder to make ends meet. Across the nonprofit sector, organizations are making impossible choices.

We’re choosing differently—investing in our people even as we navigate real constraints, because our mission demands both excellence and endurance.

This is the moment Code for America was built for. Our government partners need us. Families struggling to access essential services need us. And showing up for them—with the strength and sustainability required—means we must also show up for each other.

After six months of good-faith negotiations with the union, we’ve reached our last, best, and final offer and requested a vote. We want to be transparent about what we’re proposing in our total rewards package and why.

Our Proposal

From day one, our goal has been to remain best-in-class in our industry while ensuring organizational sustainability. Here’s what that means in practice:

Remote Work

At a time when organizations are calling employees back to the office, we remain committed to supporting staff working from their desired location and attracting talent from across the country.

Compensation

We’re proposing a $900 one-time payment now, with the potential for salary increases up to 3.4% in 2027 based on our financial position. We remain competitive with the most expensive markets in the country and exceed market rates in most geographies where our team lives.

Retirement Benefits

We believe that doing mission-driven work shouldn’t mean sacrificing your financial future. We offer 401(k) plans matching 100% of employee contributions up to 3% of annual income. After three years of service, we match 50% of contributions over 3% up to a maximum of 5% per year.

Professional Development

Our work evolves as technology and government needs change—and we support staff evolving with it. Every staff member will receive a $300 annual professional development budget to encourage continued learning and growth.

Paid Time Off

We’re intentional about rest and recognize that meaningful time away strengthens both individuals and our collective work. We’ve proposed open paid time off after 90 days of employment, plus 14 paid holidays and office closures each year—including Election Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Juneteenth, and one floating holiday for a day of personal significance.

Sabbatical Benefits

After five years of employment, employees receive a three-week paid sabbatical—time to rest, learn, and return refreshed with new insights.

Health Care

We offer a menu of health plan options, allowing staff and their families to choose the one that works best for them. This includes at least one no-cost employee-only coverage plan, with a minimum contribution of 65% towards the cost of standard dependent coverage. 

Fertility and Adoption Benefits

Decisions about family planning are deeply personal, and we want to support whatever path is right for our staff. For employees whose health plan doesn’t cover these services, we provide up to $10,000 lifetime coverage for adoption assistance, fertility assistance and preservation, and family planning through a health reimbursement account—regardless of diagnosed infertility or gender.

Parental Leave

We recognize that welcoming a new child is a profound life transition that requires time and support. All employees—birthing and non-birthing parents—are eligible for up to 13 weeks of paid leave.

Sick Leave

Union members receive an initial 40 hours of paid sick leave on their hire date for use in the first 90 days. After 90 days, the remainder of the 96 hours allotted per year becomes available.

Bereavement Leave

We understand that loss requires time to grieve and heal. Employees receive 10 days of bereavement leave per loss of an immediate family member.

Looking Ahead

This package represents our commitment to staff and to the millions of people counting on us. It balances today’s constraints with tomorrow’s possibilities. Most importantly, it ensures we can continue doing work that matters—together.

We remain best-in-class in the civic tech sector, and we’re proud of that. Now we look forward to reaching an agreement that gives us the strength and sustainability to show up for our vital mission—and for each other.