Expert’s View: Credit for Active Duty Service
Federal employees can get credit toward their civil service retirement benefits for military service time only under certain conditions, writes …More
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Sign up Now! Free eNewslettersCongress Taking Up Numerous Employee Bills
Congress is taking up numerous federal employee-related bills, most of which employee organizations oppose and consider something of a parting …More
Senate Also Moving Bills, Nomination
Meanwhile, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee was preparing to move several employee-related bills including S-643, which would …More
Hopes Raised on Shortening DoD Furloughs
Hopes have been raised that DoD will reduce the number of furlough days being imposed on some 650,000 employees there …More
MSPB Explains Furlough Appeals Policies
MSPB has posted information on the rights of federal employees who have been furloughed to file appeals. The agency has …More
Phased Retirement Comment Period Ending
The comment period for the proposed phased retirement system expires August 5, the latest step toward putting that arrangement—authorized by …More
Expert’s View: Getting Service Credit Where Credit Is Due
For retirement purposes, you not only need to think about the service credit you’ve accumulated on you current job but …More
Funding Bills Progress as Break Approaches
With its August recess set to start at the end of next week, Congress is moving ahead with several bills …More
Postal, Other Issues also Taken Up
Meanwhile, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is working to approve a postal reform bill that apparently will deny …More
Retirement Processing Gets Fresh Attention
The general government spending bill for fiscal 2014 cleared by the House Appropriations Committee cites retirement application processing as an …More
More Scrutiny of Agency Activities Planned
The House’s general government bill would impose certain restrictions and require extra oversight by IG offices of certain agency activities …More
Navy Signals Reluctance to RIF
Although the Defense Department has warned of the potential for RIFs in the upcoming fiscal year if its budget remains …More
Expert’s View: Credit Deposits and Redeposits
OPM has a convenient service for those who are making deposits or redeposits to capture civilian service credit time, writes …More
Hatch Act Rules Proposed
OPM has proposed rules to carry out several changes in the Hatch Act passed into law last year, including provisions …More
Per Diem Rate Announcement Ahead
GSA likely will soon announce the per diem rates for federal travelers to be effective for the fiscal year starting …More
Furlough Dust Finally Settling
With the last agency expecting furloughs now having started them, the furlough situation, which has been a moving target at …More
DoD Warns of RIFs as Focus Turns to Next Year
DoD has told Congress that if it has to operate next fiscal year at post-sequestration levels, as is being considered …More
Silence on Raise Continues
The key annual appropriations bill for determining the next year’s federal raise, the financial services-general government bill, has started moving …More
Fallout from Scandals Hits
The general government bill also contains several provisions that amount to fallout from recent scandals involving conferences at GSA and …More
More Guidance on Conferences Issued
OMB recently issued additional guidance to agencies on conferences, saying that they remain allowable under certain circumstances, but that they …More
Agencies Have Flexibility in Benefit Enrollment Changes
Federal agencies are conducting what amounts to a limited benefits open season for employees and retirees in same-sex marriages through …More
Changes in Key Insurance Programs Allowed
During the election period, a FEDVIP or FEHB enrollee with a same-sex spouse who now qualifies for coverage may change …More
Busy Period Ahead, then Long Break
Congress is back at work from a one-week break with four more working weeks scheduled before taking its annual August …More
Pay Raise Still to Be Decided
The annual appropriations process also is the vehicle for setting a federal employee pay raise for the following January—or, in …More
OPM Nomination Also Awaits
Another unfinished piece of business involves confirming a new director of OPM; that post has been filled on only an …More
Postal Reform May Get another Try
Congress also may try during the upcoming weeks to make progress on long-stalled postal reform legislation. Senate and House civil …More
Patience Needed on Phased Retirement
Many federal employees are asking how to go about applying for the new phased retirement arrangement; the answer is that …More
Premium Pay Waiver Extended
The administration has extended into next May a special pay authority affecting federal employees working in Iraq, waiving normal limits …More
GAO Cites Problems with Clearance Determinations
At a recent Senate hearing, GAO identified several flaws in the government’s issuance of security clearances, which are needed for …More
DoD Furloughs Set to Start
Next week DoD generally will begin its furloughs, involving the most workers of any agency imposing them, 650,000, and one …More
