ALJ Application Period to Open
OPM has said it will soon open one of the relatively rare windows for applications for administrative law judge positions, …More
Fedweek
Sign up Now! Free eNewslettersPressure Grows for More Restrictions at VA
Congress continues work on an Obama administration proposal to essentially strip senior execs at the VA of appeal rights by …More
OPM Wants Some FEHB Benefits Expanded
OPM is seeking to expand some FEHB benefits while again emphasizing cost-reduction steps such as wellness programs, controls over prescription …More
Initial Budget Plan Still Pending
The congressional budget committees hope to soon issue their outlines for the upcoming fiscal year, a process that typically starts …More
Proposals for Cuts Likely to Repeat
The House budget plan often further calls for certain additional savings and contains suggested ways, although not specific language, to …More
Silence Has Paved Way for Raises
One area where the budget plans have been silent by design recently is that they have been silent regarding a …More
February a Chilly Month for TSP
Declines in two of the three stock-oriented TSP funds in February dragged down four of the five lifecycle L funds …More
Congress Approves Hiring Reform Bill
The House has joined the Senate in passing S-1580, designed to speed up the process of filling federal vacancies by …More
Administrative Leave, Other Issues Targeted
Federal employees generally could not be put on administrative leave for more than 14 days a year related to discipline …More
Committee Scrutinizing Awards, Other Compensation
The main House committee overseeing the federal workforce has asked OPM to produce a wide range of data on various …More
Wider Restrictions on Appeal Rights for VA Executives
The Obama administration’s recent proposal to further limit appeal rights for senior executives at the VA apparently will be used …More
Recent OPM Actions Called into Question
The OPM inspector general has called into question the eligibility of acting OPM director Beth Cobert to fill that position …More
Tangle in Courts May Be Ahead
The White House has said it considers Cobert’s status valid and that it doesn’t intend to replace her while her …More
FSA Grace Period Reminder
Federal employees who had dependent care flexible spending accounts last year and who did not spend down all the money …More
Several Pay Authorities Extended
OPM has sent guidance to agencies regarding several special pay authorities that were extended by a recently enacted defense budget …More
DoD Set to Begin Rollout of New Rating System
DoD has issued guidance on the phase-in of a revised performance appraisal system that is to start in April with …More
Three Levels, but Not 1-2-3
The new appraisal system, partly developed in labor-management work groups, is to feature three levels of rating–level 5 (outstanding), level …More
DoD Describes Workforce Plans
Meanwhile, in a budget document DoD has raised the possibility of hiring freezes and early retirement offers ahead as it …More
OPM Nominee Advances, but Not at Finish Line
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has approved the nomination of Beth Cobert to formally take over as …More
Leave, TSA Rights, Pay Get Hill Attention
Federal employees facing disciplinary action generally would no longer be put on paid administrative leave during the investigation and notice …More
Further Restrictions on VA Appeal Rights Considered
The VA has started discussions with Congress on imposing still further restrictions on appeal rights of SES members there, building …More
MSPB Cites Impact on Other Cases
MSPB meanwhile has said that even though relatively few cases have arisen under the current shortcut process for executives at …More
President Proposes 2017 Pay Raise
The White House budget proposal’s call for a 1.6 percent pay raise for January 2017 may keep the figure low …More
Budget Again Defends Pay Levels
As it has in the past several years, the budget plan defends federal pay levels against studies that compare the …More
FEHB, Parental Leave Proposals Repeated
The budget plan contains several benefit proposals raised in past years but that haven’t cleared Congress. One would create six …More
Several Other Proposals Dropped
One proposal of recent years in the administration’s budgets, to open FEHB eligibility to same-sex domestic partners, was not included …More
What’s Not in the Budget is Notable, Too
Several past proposals are notable for their absence. For example, there is no mention of increasing federal employee contributions toward …More
Some Agencies Stand to Grow a Little
The budget shows some growth in the federal workforce as measured in full-time equivalent positions, from an estimated 2,106,000 this …More
Expansion of Appeal Rights Proposed
A newly introduced bipartisan House bill (HR-4418) would overturn a court ruling that restricted MSPB appeal rights of employees in …More
Budget Proposal Coming Up
President Obama’s last budget proposal is to be released next Tuesday (February 9), a document that likely once again will …More
