This report provides an update on issues affecting federal managers. As always, I encourage you to visit www.fedmanagers.org on a regular basis for more information on these and other matters.

Also, be sure to look for the monthly FMA Grassroots Update, where we offer links to action letters and FMA-PAC matters we do not address in the Washington Report. The grassroots newsletter is sent exclusively to non-governmental email addresses to avoid any Hatch Act violations. If you are not receiving it, contact the national office to provide your non-governmental email address.

Please feel free to provide feedback any time by emailing Greg Stanford at gstanford@fedmanagers.org or by calling the National Office at (703) 683-8700. Thank you for your membership in FMA. It’s an honor to represent your interests before Congress and the administration.

The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is pleased to announce its newest national elected officers. FMA National President Craig Carter was re-elected to the association’s top position as National President, and National Secretary Chris Lombardi was re-elected to that position. The elections were held at FMA's 86th annual National Convention and Management Training Seminar.

With more than thirty-three years of service with the Department of the Navy, Craig Carter brings with him a wealth of experience as both a supervisor and employee. Craig has held many leadership positions within the Association at the chapter, regional, and national levels prior to his re-election as National President.

FMA members gathered in Alexandria, Virginia, for the association’s 86th National Convention & Management Training Seminar March 24-27, 2024. This year’s event included an open house of FMA’s National Office, steps away from the hotel.

FMA National President Craig Carter gaveled in the convention and provided opening remarks. Members then heard from keynote presenter Loren Schulman, Associate Director for Performance and Personnel Management, Office of Management and Budget. Attendees also heard from special guest Rear Admiral Scott M. Brown, Deputy Commander, Industrial Operations, Naval Sea Systems Command.

FMA National President Craig Carter was named Manager of the Year at FMA’s 86th annual National Convention and Management Training Seminar in March 2024. Carter was also re-elected as National President of FMA, where he will serve a two-year term.

A recipient of many awards over the course of his career with the Department of the Navy (DON), Craig Carter is particularly proud of receiving the Civilian Service Commendation Medal in December 2021. This award is presented to Department of the Navy civilians “who distinguish themselves by performing well above their specialty or grade,” and clearly illustrates Craig’s contributions as a manager to the mission at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and the DON. He now adds FMA’s prestigious Manager of the Year award to his mantle, as Carter embodies the Association’s mission at his agency, his community, and as a leader within FMA.

On April 11, FMA National President Craig Carter and National Office staff held a town hall discussion on management in the federal workforce. FMA is doing a deep dive on managers' views on issues related to whether they have the tools necessary to effectively manage.

Topics of discussion included training, discipline and understanding the process of dealing with poor performers, Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), manager selection, the level of support managers get from their agencies and HR, and more. We welcome feedback from FMA members about their experiences, which will help FMA advise Congress and the Administration on management issues important to you.

On March 22, 2024, the House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill providing funding for the remainder of Fiscal year 2024 for the Departments of Defense, Treasury, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The measure passed by a vote of 286-134. The Senate followed suit on March 23, by a vote of 74-24, and President Biden signed the bill the same day, averting a partial government shutdown for these departments.

The funding bill includes a requirement for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide agencies’ return-to-office action plans, which include federal telework and in-office requirements, to Congress. It further requires agencies to provide data on the average number and percentage of employees working in the office during a regular two-week pay period, as well as how employee productivity is tracked. FMA supports the effort to gain more information about the usage of telework in order to make data-driven decisions.

On March 11, President Biden announced his budget request for Fiscal Year 2025. He is calling for a 2.0 percent pay raise for the federal workforce in 2025. The budget request outlines updates and initiatives from the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) aimed at recruitment and retention, making the federal workforce a model employer, and learning from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter issued a press release on the day the budget request was announced, welcoming Biden’s priorities. Carter expressed full support for the 4.5 percent raise proposed for the uniformed military in 2025. He also urged President Biden and Congress to provide an equal raise for federal employees, rather than the proposed 2.0 percent.

On March 21, Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced the Telework Transparency Act (S. 4043). The bill would require agencies to gather data and monitor how telework impacts agency performance and federal property decisions, “creating more transparency and providing oversight to weigh the pros and cons of telework policies.” This follows the fall 2023 introduction of the bipartisan Telework Reform Act (S. 3015), endorsed by FMA.

“Federal agencies must track and consider the impact of telework on their ability to deliver services, recruit and retain talent, and ensure office operations are cost-efficient,” said Senator Peters in a statement upon introduction. “My bipartisan bill will require agencies to gather accurate data on telework policies to provide more transparency and help ensure federal agencies are effectively carrying out their missions for the American people.”

On March 22, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced legislation, the Federal Labor-Management Partnerships Act (H.R. 7787 / S. 4039), which would create a federal partnership council for management and labor to work together. FMA endorsed the legislation.

The Federal Managers Association sat on the National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations, created by an Executive Order under President Barack Obama. That council was eliminated at the end of the Obama administration. FMA found the council to be a useful tool for interacting with federal unions, celebrating successes, and working together wherever possible on issues of mutual concern. The council addressed employee engagement, recruitment and retention, and many other topics of interest. FMA supports a legislatively created council to provide for ongoing dialogue.

On April 4, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published the final rule to reinforce and clarify protections for a non-partisan career civil service. The Federal Managers Association (FMA) supports the new rules and submitted comments during the rulemaking process. FMA National President Craig Carter made the following comments upon publication of the final rule:

“On behalf of the managers and supervisors currently serving our nation in the federal government, and whose interests are represented by the Federal Managers Association (FMA), we are pleased for the implementation of the new rules clarifying and protecting the longstanding merit-based system governing our civil service. FMA commented in favor of the proposed rule and the effort to reinforce and clarify important civil service protections for federal employees who may shift from the competitive service to the excepted service, or from one excepted service schedule to another.

In preparation for the President’s Pay Agent annual report to the President on locality pay, the Federal Salary Council asked FMA for input related to its recommendations for 2025. FMA submitted a response on April 10.

FMA expressed support for the current recommendations on the establishment or modification of pay localities, the coverage of salary surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for use in the locality pay program, the process of comparing General Schedule (GS) pay to non-federal pay, and the level of comparability payments for January 2025.

In February, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shared a new Workforce of the Future Playbook supporting "a federal workforce that is inclusive, agile and engaged, and equipped with the right skills to deliver for the American people." The Playbook provides actions that agencies can take to build and equip the workforce of the future, incorporating new strategies and sharing best practices across government. OPM will make periodic updates on the Workforce of the Future webpage.

OPM is hosting free virtual informational webinars about specific topics from the playbook in the coming months to give managers and supervisors an opportunity to take a deep dive into the specific topics, such as implementing pooled hiring, skills-based hiring, cultivating early career talent, supporting employee health and well-being, fostering an inclusive work environment and much more. Hear from subject matter experts, learn from other agencies about promising practices, and engage in a lively Q&A session. The remaining schedule for the Workforce of the Future Playbook webinars is as follows:

Are you approaching retirement? The Office of Personnel Management website offers a Retirement Quick Guide that shares what feds can expect as they navigate the retirement application process, how benefits are determined, and guidelines related to their interim and annuity payments. You can also view a three-page printable PDF version of the quick guide here: https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/retirement-quick-guide/opm-retirement-quick-guide.pdf.

Mark your calendars: May 5-11, 2024, is Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW). Celebrated since 1985, PSRW occurs during the first week of May to honor civil servants across the country. Visit Performance.gov for a virtual toolkit on how to celebrate PSRW this year. You can access the toolkit directly at this link.

The #GovPossible toolkit will allow you to show your gratitude for public servants through social media templates, stickers, and other methods. The products are specifically sized for each social media platform, and you are encouraged to use the hashtags #GovPossible and #PSRW when you post.