On September 25, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced the 2025 Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program rates. The open season for health benefits, dental and vision insurance, and flexible spending accounts will be November 11 through December 9, 2024.

The average enrollee share increase for 2025 will be 13.5 percent. The last time the increase in the enrollee share was over 10 percent was in 2003 (11.6 percent). The overall average FEHB premium increase will be 11.2 percent. The new health premiums go into effect in January 2025.

As you may know, FEHB premiums are shared by you and your agency. You generally pay approximately 30 percent of the total cost, and your agency pays the remaining 70 percent. The full set of rate charts for 2025 is available here.

Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter wrote all members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate today, urging them to fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2025, prevent a lapse in appropriations, and avert a government shutdown. 

"FMA members are dedicated patriots who tirelessly serve their communities, fulfilling congressionally-mandated missions and goals, while administering invaluable services to all Americans. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees – who are taxpayers like their fellow citizens – do not know if they will be told to stay home and not get paid for the foreseeable future. This has tangible, negative effects on the employees, their families, and every American who relies on the services they provide," Carter wrote.

FMA has endorsed the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), which would fully repeal both the GPO and WEP. We are working with Reps. Graves and Spanberger in their effort to expedite and advance the will of the House.

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A bipartisan pair of lawmakers on Tuesday filed a discharge petition seeking to force a vote on the House floor on a measure that would eliminate a pair of controversial tax rules that reduce the retirement benefits of some ex-government workers.

FMA has endorsed the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), which would fully repeal both the GPO and WEP. We are working with Reps. Graves and Spanberger in their effort to expedite and advance the will of the House. 

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive

A bipartisan pair of lawmakers announced Monday that they would act to force a vote on the House floor on a measure that would repeal a pair of controversial tax rules that negatively impact some federal employees’ retirement income.

The Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), introduced last year by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garrett Graves, R-La., would repeal Social Security’s windfall elimination provision and government pension offset.

To read the full article, click here.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously advanced the Chance to Compete Act (S. 59), commonsense bipartisan legislation endorsed by FMA that reduces unnecessary burdens to job hiring in the federal workforce. The measure passed by a vote of 11-0 and is cleared for consideration on the Senate floor. The House of Representatives passed similar legislation by a vote of 422-2 in January 2023.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced the bill, along with Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), James Lankford (R-OK) and Tom Carper (D-DE). To read Sen. Sinema's press release following the committee action, click here.

FMA and the Federal-Postal Coalition, which is comprised of 31 national organizations that collectively represent more than five million federal and postal workers and retirees across the country, wrote Members of the House to support the bipartisan Connolly-Fitzpatrick Amendment (#140) to H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

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The Federal Managers Association has named as its manager of the year Craig Carter of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, who recently was re-elected as FMA’s national president, as well.

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FMA National President Craig Carter stated: "The federal government cannot function effectively without this nonpolitical civil service capable of preserving institutional memory and competence across administrations.”

Unions and other organizations that represent federal employees quickly threw their support behind the Biden administration’s plan to shield the federal workforce from the potential revival of plans to strip thousands of civil servants of their due process protections.

On Friday, March 22, the House of Representatives passed the $1.2 trillion funding package for the Department of Defense, Treasury, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and other agencies for the balance of Fiscal Year 2024. The measure, supported by FMA, passed by a vote of 286-134. It now goes to the U.S. Senate for its consideration. If this measure is not adopted and signed into law, short-term funding for these agencies will lapse.

President Biden released his Fiscal Year 2025 budget request on Monday, March 11, calling for a 2 percent pay raise for the federal workforce. FMA National President Craig Carter issued a press release in response, urging the traditional pay parity with the uniformed military, supporting the President's Management Agenda, and more. Carter was cited in a Government Executive article by Managing Editor Carten Cordell.

 To read the full article, click here.

On Thursday, February 29, the House of Representatives approved a short-term spending bill that would extend Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations deadlines and stave off a partial government shutdown. The vote was 320-99 in favor of the bill. Funding for certain agencies, currently scheduled to expire tomorrow, would be extended to next week. The measure would extend funding for other agencies through March 22. The Senate is expected to move quickly on the bill.

FMA joined other member organizations of the Federal-Postal Coalition on a letter to all Members of Congress this week, urging swift action to prevent a devastating government shutdown. We will continue to urge legislators to fully fund Fiscal Year 2024.

On January 30, 2024, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) reintroduced the FAIR Pay Act, legislation that would provide an average 7.4 percent pay raise for the federal workforce in 2025. Connolly and Schatz quoted FMA National President Craig Carter's support for the bill in their joint press release upon introduction. Additionally, Carter was quoted in Government Executive. FMA will advocate for this bill and push for the best possible boost to pay.

Yesterday, January 18, 2024, Congress approved another continuing resolution (CR) that averts a partial government shutdown and keeps federal agencies funded into March 2024. Funding for the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Energy, has been extended through March 1. Funding for all other agencies has been extended through March 8. The Senate approved the measure by a vote of 77-18 and the House followed with a vote of 314-108.

On December 21, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay, which implements an average 5.2 percent pay raise for 2024. The raise is comprised of a 4.7 percent across-the-board boost to basic pay and an average 0.5 percent boost to locality pay.

FMA staunchly opposes the return of Schedule F which would take away merit protections from tens of thousands of federal employees. We will continue to work with all members of congress to ensure these protections are not rescinded.

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A vote during House consideration of a general government spending bill revealed some opposition among members of the Republican majority there to a potential return during a future GOP administration of an excepted service Schedule F.

How one telework newcomer is managing his employees remotely during the pandemic

FEDweek

The Federal Managers Association is proud to announce the winners of the Association's highest honors and awards. On March 30, we recognized Ken Westlake of FMA Chapter 375 (Environmental Protection Agency, Chicago, Illinois) as FMA's 2019 Manager of the Year. Now, we present the winners of the Gil Guidry Award, the President's Award, the Odell Green Award, FMA's Super Recruiter, and the top regional recruiters of new members. We hope that shining a light on these deserving public servants and sharing a little bit of their stories will help boost everyone's morale in these trying times. FMA is certainly impressed with their accomplishments and thankful for your service to our country and the Association.

Whether permanent or as part of a contingency plan, teleworking requires a combination of culture changes and technology.

The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is hosting its annual national convention and management training seminar in Alexandria, Virginia, March 29 through April 1. The centerpiece of the event is the “Day on the Hill,” when FMA members will meet with members of Congress and their staffs to discuss issues important to their installation, their agency, and to FMA.

Federal Manager's Daily Report

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FEDweek

Federal Managers Groups Largely Support Trump OPM Pick

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive

The Trump administration’s nomination of George Nesterczuk to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management is already making waves among groups that represent federal workers.

While groups representing managers voiced varying levels of support for the announcement Wednesday, a union official was warier of the choice.