2021 FEHB, FEDVIP Rates Posted; Average FEHB Premiums up 4.9 Percent
Update: OPM has released 2021 rates for the Federal Employee Health Benefits and Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Programs. …More
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January Retirement COLA Set: 1.3 Percent
A federal retirement COLA of 1.3 percent will be paid in January, following completion of the count toward that adjustment …More
Social Security Figures Increase with COLA Adjustment
Along with the COLA increase of 1.3 percent in Social Security benefits for January—the same COLA that will apply to …More
OPM Proposed Narrowing Back Pay Awards
OPM has proposed rules that would narrow the situations in which federal employees are eligible for back pay awards over …More
Bill Offered in Senate to Make Social Security Withholding Change Optional
A new bill in the Senate would make optional the so-far mandatory change in Social Security payroll withholding that is …More
Key Interest Rate Drops for Deposits, Redeposits
The interest rate will fall from the current 2.25 percent to 1.375 percent in 2021 on required deposits and redeposits …More
Expanded Guidance Issued on Accepting ‘Crowdsourced’ Support
The Office of Government Ethics has issued guidance on acceptance by federal employees of “crowdsourced” donations, expanding on interpretations it …More
Lawmakers: Feds Should be Able to Opt Out of Tax Withholding “Chaos”
The rollout of the temporary waiver of Social Security taxes for many federal employees has been “chaotic,” a bipartisan group …More
Bill Containing Pandemic-Related Benefits Moves in House but then Stalls
In the latest developments in the ever-changing calculus regarding a further pandemic relief bill, the House added several provisions of …More
Broader Proposal Offered on Preventing Loss of Annual Leave
New bills have been offered in Congress to waive the “use or lose” restriction on annual leave beyond the situations …More
OPM Review Requirement Effectively Suspends Diversity Training
OPM has effectively put a hold on diversity type training in federal agencies pending its review of materials used for …More
Paid Parental Leave Begins as Some Eligibility Issues Addressed, Others Not
The long-awaited authority for paid parental leave in the federal workplace has started with some issues regarding eligibility addressed but …More
Count of TSP Millionaires Recovers from Early Year Drop
Nearly 1 percent of TSP account holders have balances of $1 million or more in the latest accounting, exceeding the …More
TSP Finalizes Broadening of Hardship Withdrawal Change
The TSP has finalized rules it proposed earlier this year making certain expenses related to a natural disaster automatically eligible …More
Agency Funding Authority Extended through December 11
A measure (HR-8337) to continue funding authority for federal agencies through December 11 was enacted at nearly the last minute …More
Social Security Withholding Change Spreading, Catching Some by Surprise
Federal employees who haven’t already seen their pay impacted by the Trump administration-ordered suspension of Social Security withholding should be …More
HHS Considering Hair Samples for Federal Employee Drug Testing
HHS is considering expanding the federal employee drug testing program to include requiring employees to provide hair samples, saying that …More
Return-to-Office Plans, Other Issues Up for House Voting
The House is scheduled to vote this week on HR-7340, to require agencies to develop and publicly release plans meeting …More
Home Office Deduction Doesn’t Apply to ‘Employees,’ IRS Says
The IRS has issued a statement on an issue that has been raised by many federal employees who—like many others …More
Order Defines Scope of Agency Training Ban on “Divisive Concepts”; Penalties to Include Firing
President Trump has issued an executive order disallowing training in the federal workplace that contains “offensive and anti-American race and …More
TSP Begins Autumn with Fall
All TSP funds except the ever-gaining government securities G fund posted losses in September, with the large company stock C …More
More Guidance Released on Social Security Withholding Change
The government’s largest payroll processor, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, has released additional guidance on tracking the Social Security …More
Some Light Shed on Repayment of Social Security Tax Suspension
Echoing advice from federal employee unions, the government’s largest payroll provider has said that federal employees affected by the suspension …More
Progress Made on Temporary Funding Bill to Prevent Shutdown
The House on Tuesday (September 22) passed a temporary funding bill (HR-8319) for the fiscal year that begins October 1, …More
October 1 Brings Paid Parental Leave, Other Changes
Several changes in federal workplace policies will kick in as of the start of the new fiscal year next Thursday, …More
Annual Meeting Set for Group that Compares GS, Private Sector Pay
The Federal Salary Council, which oversees the GS locality pay system, will convene virtually on October 20 in an annual …More
OPM Finalizing Changes to Admin Law Judge Hiring Called for in 2018 Executive Order
OPM has proposed regulations to finalize policy changes it made two years ago regarding administrative law judges that include moving …More
GAO Questions SES Reassignments
It is not clear whether agencies are complying with restrictions against reassigning career SES members after the installation of a …More
Many Federal Employees Could Soon See Impact of Social Security Tax Change
Federal employees affected by the Trump administration-imposed change in their Social Security payroll tax withholding could start seeing the impact …More
Treat Withholding Change as a Loan, Not a Bonus, Federal Employees Told
Federal employee organizations are urging their members to take note that the temporary suspension of Social Security taxes affecting most …More
