Flexible Spending Account Program Launching
Executive branch employees will be allowed to set aside salary on a pre-tax basis to pay certain dependent care and …More
Fedweek
Sign up Now! Free eNewslettersJob Opportunities Coming in SES
The Senior Executive Service-the highest-level career positions to which most federal employees can aspire-is expected to see significant turnover in …More
Contraceptives, Abortion Policy Continued
The recently enacted catchall spending bill for the current fiscal year continues prior policies in the Federal Employees Health Benefits …More
End to Required Withdrawals Proposed
Current requirements for making withdrawals from retirement savings programs such as the Thrift Savings Plan would be repealed under legislation …More
Familiar Problems Blamed
GAO laid most of the blame for FEHB premium increases of recent years on factors often cited for driving up …More
FEHB Premium Hikes in Line
The rise in Federal Employees Health Benefits program premiums in recent years has been in line with increases in other …More
Government Shutdown Protection Proposed
The White House has asked Congress to enact authority for the government to continue operating if regular appropriations bills haven’t …More
Greater Charge Card Scrutiny Sought
The Bush administration is seeking from Congress authority to require that agencies “evaluate the creditworthiness” of employees before issuing them …More
Others Criticize GS System, Too
Office of Personnel Management officials in recent years have grown increasingly vocal in their criticisms of the GS system, which …More
What End of General Schedule Could Mean
While much of the recent report from the National Commission on the Public Service-more commonly called the Volcker Commission-focused on …More
Closer Look at Coverage Issues
For excerpts from the notice involving FLTCIP coverage issues, go to https://www.fedweek.com/HotFreeNews/default.asp in the hot free info section of our …More
No Next Open Season Scheduled
The notice further repeated OPM’s previous statements indicating that the open season of the last six months of 2002 will …More
Long-Term Care Issues Explained
The Office of Personnel Management, in a recent Federal Register notice, laid out in fuller detail certain provisions of the …More
Special rate Suit Settled-At Last
The $179.5 million back pay claim filed on behalf of 200,000 1980s era special rate federal workers has been signed …More
Results at FAA a Mixed Bag
In a review of the separate personnel authorities in effect since 1996 at the FAA, the General Accounting Office has …More
DHS Seen as ‘Starting Point’ for Reforms
The White House’s recent budget proposal describes the special personnel provisions of the Department of Homeland Security as a “starting …More
Controller Contracting Opposed
Air traffic control jobs at larger airports would be walled off from contracting-out under legislation (S-338) introduced by Sen. Frank …More
Acceptance of S, I Funds Still Low
As of the end of 2002, the TSP was holding about $102 billion, 48 percent of that in the G …More
TSP Investors Turn More Conservative
Thrift Savings Plan participants continued a trend toward more conservative investment in 2002-the third straight year of poor returns for …More
COLA Count Up in January
A third of the way through the counting period for determining the January 2004 federal retiree cost-of-living adjustment, retirees have …More
Breakup of Civil Service Progressing
If DoD’s request is granted, the majority of federal employees would be outside what is generally considered to be “standard” …More
DoD’s Reform Plan to Get Serious Look
The Defense Department is expected to unveil soon details of its proposal to create a new personnel system for itself …More
UNITED BUSINESS MACHINES CONTRACTS WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES
United Business Machines (UBM) is Washington, DC’s largest independent Canon dealership with thousands of Canon copiers under contract, including 350 …More
GPO, WEP Repeal Measures Introduced
Two other measures introduced in Congress would totally repeal both the government pension offset and another provision of Social Security …More
Another GPO Reform Approach Also Offered
Meanwhile, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., has reintroduced in Congress a bill (S-363) to alter the government pension offset by making …More
Earnings Test Also Targeted
Shaw’s measure also would repeal a Social Security provision primarily of interest to those retiring under the FERS retirement system: …More
Social Security Reform Measures Introduced
The Head of the House Social Security subcommittee, Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fla., has reintroduced a Social Security reform plan (HR-75) …More
Still No Date on New TSP Computer System
The Thrift Savings Plan still is not able to set a date for the launch of its long-awaited and much-stalled …More
Use or Lose Rules Mostly Involve Medical Accounts
The use or lose feature of FSAs primarily affects the medical/dental accounts allowable in such programs. That’s because payouts from …More
Carrier Would Get What’s Lost
In private sector FSAs, typically any unused money in an FSA reverts to the employer. In the federal program, that …More
