Chairman Backs Total Repeal
The chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., meanwhile said his “ultimate goal is the total repeal …More
Fedweek
Sign up Now! Free eNewslettersKey Panel Backs Withdrawal Policy Changes
The congressional Joint Economic Committee, a powerful Capitol Hill force in setting tax and investment policies, has endorsed changes in …More
Where the Jobs Are-and Aren’t
Office of Personnel Management statistics show that among the largest federal occupations, several white-collar occupations experienced growth-in some cases rapid …More
Catch-Ups Could Be Popular
The TSP catch-up authority likely would be a popular benefit at least in the initial years, according to a Congressional …More
Post-Election on TSP Catch-Up Bill Expected
Final approval is still possible this year of pending legislation (HR-3340) that would allow federal employees at least 50 years …More
Approval of Special Rate Settlement Sought
The parties to the long-running back pay suit for certain special rate employees have asked a federal court to finalize …More
Voluntary Contributions Rate Drops
The Treasury Department has announced that the interest rate on “voluntary contribution” accounts will drop in 2003 to 5 percent …More
Medicare Rates, Deductibles Also Increasing
Monthly premiums under Medicare Option B, which covers physicians’ services and associated costs, will increase from $54 to $58.70 in …More
Payroll Taxes Differ by Retirement Systems
Employees under the “pure” CSRS system do not pay Social Security taxes; they pay 7 percent to the civil service …More
Social Security Contributions Maximum Increasing
Federal employees covered by Social Security-primarily those in the FERS retirement system-will be paying Social Security taxes on salary up …More
New FEHB Option for Federal Employees
This fall Federal and Postal employees have the opportunity to choose a new and unique health plan through the APWU …More
Training for Acquisition Employees Examined
Agencies need to better define and track the training of their employees involved in acquisition, the General Accounting Office has …More
Bills Move as Congress Winds Down
Congress has started to clear its decks of several long-standing bills as it looks ahead to adjourning for the year. …More
Misconceptions About Case Are Common
Many federal employees carry misconceptions about the special rates case, possibly because the details have blurred during the 20 years …More
Special Rate Case Development Could Be Just Ahead
Although the announcement earlier this year that a settlement has been reached in the long-running case over back pay for …More
Later Sign-Ups Are Possible
The application rate for the FLTCIP program might increase before the December 31 end of the open season as eligible …More
FLTCIP Open Season Winding Down
With only two months remaining in the open season for the new Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, about 100,000 …More
GAO Report on Building Security Effort
The Interagency Security Committee, created in the aftermath of the 1995 federal building bombing in Oklahoma City, is responsible for …More
Long-Term Solution Sought
Budget leaders of both parties oppose enacting a multi-month temporary spending measure, warning that agencies whose workload is increasing need …More
Delay Complicates Raise Picture
The continuing resolutions that have been used to fund agency programs so far during fiscal 2003 generally have kept spending …More
Final Word on Raise Still Unspoken
A final decision on the January 2003 federal raise likely will not be made until late November or in December …More
Raise, COLA Two Separate Issues
The annual announcement of the retiree COLA commonly raises a question among active employees: what effect does that have on …More
Retirees to Receive 1.4 Percent COLA
Federal retirees will receive cost-of-living adjustments of 1.4 percent in their January 2003 annuity checks, following final tabulation of the …More
MSPB Settlement Policy Issued
Cases before the Merit Systems Protection Board can be suspended for up to 60 days to allow the parties to …More
President’s Management Agenda Update
The Office of Management and Budget recently released an updated look at how well the government in general-and individual agencies …More
DoD Issues Guidance on Buyout, Early Outs for Restructuring
The Defense Department has issued guidance on what it terms “special workforce restructuring buyouts and early retirements” during the fiscal …More
Practical Effect Questionable
The suggestion of an order to open all commercial type jobs to privatization has upset federal unions, which were main …More
Bid to Restrict Contracting May Backfire
Bush administration officials have adopted a new stance toward a congressional move to restrict the use of numeric goals for …More
GS Raise Figure Still Unsettled
Because of delays in the annual appropriations process, final action on the January 2003 GS pay raise still has not …More
‘Average’ Amount a Tricky Calculation
Blue-collar employees under the wage grade pay system-sometimes called the federal wage system-are supposed to be paid according to prevailing …More
