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- Greed, Fear, and Your TSP Account - July 14, 2020
- By Dallen Haws, FedsmithIt is very easy to be greedy when the market has record highs. When everything is going up, it is so easy to listen to the water cooler talk and double down on the C, S, and I funds in the Thrift Savings Plan. When the market is going down however, it is a very different picture. It turns the once greedy investors into nervous ones.
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- Surge in Coronavirus Cases Raises New Questions About Agencies' Office Reopenings - July 13, 2020
- Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveA surge in the spread of the novel coronavirus has left many questioning decisions to reopen federal offices and military installations across the country, and employees and lawmakers are warning that agencies are not taking proper steps to ensure the safety of employees.
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- Congress Can Shrink the Deficit by $63B by Boosting IRS Funding and Staffing - July 10, 2020
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveThe federal government could boost the revenue it collects by more than $100 billion by providing the Internal Revenue Service an extra $4 billion annually, according to a new analysis that said a rapid decline in resources and staffing for the agency has deeply hampered its ability to carry out its mission.
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- House appropriators stay silent on federal pay for 2021 - July 8, 2020
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkHouse appropriators are silent on federal pay for now, increasing the likelihood that a planned 1% raise for civilian employees next year will advance as the president intended.
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- VA Significantly Boosts Hiring as COVID-19 Cases Among Employees and Veterans Spike - July 6, 2020
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveThe Veterans Affairs Department has netted more than 5,000 employees since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the new employees are helping handle a recent surge of cases within VA's health care network, officials told lawmakers on Thursday.
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- It’s Time for ‘Stakeholder Public Service’ - July 2, 2020
- By Howard Risher, Government ExecutiveA new management philosophy, stakeholder capitalism, has emerged in the private sector and has been endorsed by a growing list of corporate leaders and business groups. Proponents argue corporations should serve the interests of all their stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and local communities. Under this system, a company's purpose is to create long-term value and not to maximize profits at the cost of other stakeholder groups.
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- House Committee Investigates Whether Officials Misled Congress on OPM-GSA Merger - July 1, 2020
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe leadership of the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday announced that the panel would investigate whether Trump administration officials lied in congressional testimony about the legality of the controversial proposal to eliminate the Office of Personnel Management and send most of its functions to the General Services Administration.
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- Rethinking the Workplace Through and Beyond COVID-19 - July 1, 2020
- By Kevin Wayer, Government ExecutiveThe pandemic is transforming the way we work, and it’s transforming government, too. Following the economic impact of state stay-at-home orders, your organization is likely facing historic pressure to perform more efficiently, while also navigating all-new workplace safety considerations. But armed with data and technology, you can adapt your workplace to support safe re-opening in the short-term, while building toward long-term productivity and cost-savings goals.
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- Senate Defense Policy Bill Would Allow Pay Increases for a Few Federal Tech and Acquisition Jobs - June 29, 2020
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Senate is slated to vote this week on its version of the annual defense policy bill, a must-pass piece of legislation that often acts as a vehicle for governmentwide workforce policy changes and this year includes provisions ensuring federal employees are reimbursed for taxes on relocation benefits and allowing higher pay for certain Pentagon technology and acquisition jobs.
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- White House Sought Legal Opinion to Allow Trump to Fire Anyone in Government - June 26, 2020
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveA recently published internal document from 2017 on federal employment issues revealed that a top Trump aide encouraged White House lawyers to examine whether the president has an inherent constitutional authority to fire whomever he pleases in government, seeking to deem civil service and merit systems protections unconstitutional.
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- Trump to Sign Executive Order to Overhaul the Federal Hiring Process - June 26, 2020
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutivePresident Trump on Friday will sign an executive order to overhaul requirements federal agencies use when evaluating job candidates, seeking to downplay the importance of college degrees.
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- DHS policy expands internal security measures by tracking all personnel - June 25, 2020
- By Bob Fredericks, New York PostThe Department of Homeland Security will start tracking all personnel, including federal employees as well as contractors, with or without a security clearance to uncover insider security threats, a report said Wednesday.
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- More than 13,000 federal workers face a possible furlough of 30 days or longer - June 24, 2020
- By Eric Yoder, The Washington PostThree-fourths of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services workforce — more than 13,000 employees — could be told as soon as Wednesday that they face extended furloughs starting August 3 that would cut off their salaries and severely curtail the agency’s work, the union representing the employees has said.
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- Essential Things to Know Before You Take the TSP Annuity Option - June 23, 2020
- By Dallen Haws, FedsmithA federal employee has a lot of options when retirement comes. With just about every benefit that employees enjoy, a decision will have to be made on how to use that benefit in retirement.One of these decisions that will make a huge impact over the course of a retirement is what to do with your TSP.
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- As Federal Employee Recalls Grow, So Do Warnings- June 22, 2020
- FedweekRecalls of federal employees to their regular worksites continue to grow but so do safety cautions from unions and some members of Congress, especially in light of some localized increases in Coronavirus cases as restrictions have been eased.
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- GAO Weighs in on Annual COLA Calculations- June 19, 2020
- By Ralph R. Smith, FedsmithIn October of every year, the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the coming January is announced. In 2020, the COLA went up 1.6% for Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuities, Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuities, and Social Security benefits in January 2020.
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- How Some Federal Retirees Could Lose Spousal Social Security Benefits from Government Pension Offset (GPO) - June 18, 2020
- By Edward A. Zurndorfer, My Federal RetirementA recent column discussed how the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) affects the Social Security benefits of individuals who are covered by a government (federal, state or local)-sponsored guaranteed pension plan, such as federal employees who are covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In short, the WEP will reduce a CSRS annuitant's own Social Security retirement benefit by as much as 50 to 60 percent.
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- You Can Now Apply for Coronavirus TSP Loans - June 16, 2020
- By Ian Smith, FedsmithThe Thrift Savings Plan has announced that TSP participants may now apply for the new temporary loan and withdrawal options available under the CARES Act.Plan participants affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus can apply for a TSP general purpose loan with an increased maximum loan amount. These participants may also temporarily suspend payments on TSP loans they currently have and on loans taken between now and November 30, 2020.
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- More than 60% of Recent Federal Employee Hires Left Within Two Years - June 15, 2020
- Government should better track retention data to determine why employees, particularly disabled employees, leave at such a high rate, watchdog finds.Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveAbout 60% of federal employees hired in recent years left their jobs within two years, according to a new report that focused on hiring and retention of individuals with disabilities.
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- How front line feds could get a legislative boost - June 12, 2020
- Jessie Bur, Federal TimesLegislation intended to financially support “essential workers” currently working in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic could also apply to some federal employees that were required to work in the office or interact with citizens.
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- More Guidance on Recalls Issued but Most Employees Still Waiting - June 10, 2020
- FedweekFederal agencies continue to issue guidance on calling back employees to regular duty stations as pandemic-related restrictions are eased nationwide. However, most of the hundreds of thousands of federal employees who have been away from their regular worksites on telework or leave status – now for almost three months – still have not been told when they will be expected to return.
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- Bases in most states and 5 countries now eligible to lift military stop-move order - June 8, 2020
- By Scott Maucione, Federal News NetworkThe Defense Department says military installations in a large swath of states are eligible to begin loosening moving restrictions due to coronavirus as part of the military’s conditions-based phased approach to reopening.
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- Federal retirement claims remained largely stable during May - June 8, 2020
- By Amelia Brust, Federal News NetworkWhile a record high national unemployment rate — 13.3% — shook the job market last month, at least some stability can be found in the number of federal employees voluntarily departing their posts.
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- TSP Board Chairman to Resign Following White House Intervention in Retirement Program - June 5, 2020
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveOfficials at the agency that administers the Thrift Savings Plan announced Friday that TSP board chairman Michael Kennedy will resign at the end of June after a nearly a decade at the helm of federal employees' 401(k)-style retirement program.
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- IRS to recall second and third waves of workers this month - June 5, 2020
- Jessie Bur, Federal TimesSome Internal Revenue Service employees across nine states and commonwealths will be asked to return to the office in June to perform essential work for the agency that cannot be done virtually.
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- The Pandemic Drove the Final Nail in the GS System - June 2, 2020
- The government is confronted with a different workforce management reality than at any time in the past.Howard Risher, Government Executivehe coronavirus pandemic has cast the government’s HR crisis into stark relief: both the public’s need for government services and the government’s future staffing needs for essential employees are uncertain. Responding to COVID-19 has also made individual expertise and credentials a front burner concern. In the new work environment individual initiative, agility and performance are highly valued. The pandemic also requires flexible and responsive staffing practices. Government is confronted with a different workforce management reality than at any time in the past.
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- OPM Clarifies Leave Policy, Pentagon Outlines Elective Surgery Plans, and More - May 28, 2020
- Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management last week sought to clarify how agencies should treat a new form of paid leave enacted as part of the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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- Zero Retiree COLA Likely For 2021, Senior Group Predicts - May 26, 2020
- Scott Thompson, My Federal RetirementSocial Security benefits have lost 30 percent of buying power since 2000, according to the latest Social Security Loss of Buying Power study released this month by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). TSCL also estimates the 2021 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits could be zero, based on consumer price index (CPI) data through April of this year.
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- Federal Advisory Group Finds Feds Are Paid 26.71% Less than Private Sector Counterparts - May 21, 2020
- In their annual report, members of the Federal Salary Council recommend updates to datasets used in determining a region’s eligibility to become a locality pay area.Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveAn advisory board tasked with examining pay disparities between the federal government and the private sector recently found that federal employees on average make 26.71% less than their private sector counterparts, although the group's methodology is hotly debated.
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- Agencies Inch Back toward Regular Operations and a New Normal - May 20, 2020
- FedweekAs federal agencies continue to inch toward a return to normal operations, consideration already is being given to a “new normal” for large numbers of employees if not for entire agencies.
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- IRS Provides Tax Relief for Individuals Enrolled in Flexible Spending Accounts, Including FSAFEDS - May 18, 2020
- Edward A. Zurndorfer, My Federal RetirementThe IRS announced on May 12 guidance to allow temporary changes to employer-sponsored “cafeteria plans” that are authorized under Internal Revenue Code Section 125.Among the most important changes are extending the claims period for health care flexible spending arrangements (HCFSAs) and dependent care flexible spending arrangement (DCFSAs) and allowing for HCFSA and DCFSA enrollees in 2020 to make mid-year 2020 changes.
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- OPM DIRECTOR RESIGNS - March 17, 2020
- Cabaniss resigns as OPM directorBy Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkThe director of the Office of Personnel Management, Dale Cabaniss, has resigned, Federal News Network has learned.She resigned late Tuesday afternoon, as the federal government continues to juggle a growing coronavirus pandemic and provide highly-sought guidance to its workforce.
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- Federal Retirement Applications, Processing Both Down in October - November 12, 2019
- By Erich Wagner, Government Executive,The Office of Personnel Management announced last week that the backlog of pending federal retirement claims nearly reached 18,000 last month. Although the number of requests has decreased in recent months, so too has the pace by which the federal government’s HR agency has processed them.According to agency statistics, only 7,044 federal employees filed for retirement in October. That represents about 400 fewer claims than OPM received in September, and a decrease of nearly 2,000 requests compared with the 9,012 that were filed in October 2018.
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- BOTH STAFF CUTS AND BUDGET INCREASES FOR FY 2019 - July 13, 2017
Staff Cuts and Budget Increases Are Both on Tap for 2019
By Eric Katz, Government Executive
The Trump administration has provided federal agencies with the latitude to request up to a 5 percent funding boost in fiscal 2019, saying the White House may accommodate a “limited number” of programmatic increases in its final blueprint.
Generally, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in a memorandum to department and agency heads, agencies should keep their 2019 spending requests in line with what the White House spelled out in the fiscal 2018 budget submission. They should also, however, “identify additional investments in effective programs that further support their mission and fill a clear federal role.”
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- Agencies Could Rehire, Promote Former Employees With New OPM Regulatory Fix - December 24, 2019
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkThe Office of Personnel Management wants to help agencies rehire former employees who have left government — and offer a non-competitive promotion to a higher grade level to sweeten the deal.In a proposed rule, which is scheduled for publication later this week, OPM will recommend new regulations that will allow agencies to non-competitively reappoint former employees to other positions at a higher grade level than when they left government.
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- How The Government Wants Agencies To Regulate AI - January 14, 2020
- By Andrew Eversden, Federal TimesThe Office of Management and Budget released a draft memorandum Jan. 13 providing guidance to agencies on how they should approach regulation of industry’s artificial intelligence applications.The guidance emphasizes that agencies should consider how any regulatory action would potentially hinder expansion of AI use. The draft memo “calls on agencies, when considering regulations or policies related to AI applications, to promote advancements in technology and innovation."
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