Fedweek

The White House is due to present its annual budget proposal Monday (February 2), with no indications so far that it will include major changes in federal personnel policy. While the budget is expected to propose a federal raise of January 2016, it’s questionable whether the number will be the 3.8 percent backed by federal employee organizations and some Democrats in Congress. One potential figure is the 2.3 percent indicated by a labor cost measure under federal pay law, or alternatively 1.8 percent, reflecting a reduction provided for in that law with the expectation—never fulfilled in two decades—of substantial locality pay to be added on top. Also expected are repeats of several FEHB-related proposals that also have made no progress on Capitol Hill in recent years, including opening eligibility to domestic partners of either gender and allowing plans to charge higher premiums for enrollees who don’t participate in wellness programs deemed appropriate for them. The budget also likely will reflect the White House’s recent call to pass legislation tocreate six weeks of paid administrative leave for federal employees without charge to other forms of paid leave for parental purposes;a bill (HR-532) to do so was introduced in the House this week. That proposal is separate from a presidential memo issued requiring agencies to advance up to 30 days of sick leave for family purposes; guidance to carry out that requirement is still pending.