FEHB Open Season Dates Set
The open season for enrolling or changing plans, coverage levels or types of coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits …More
Fedweek
Sign up Now! Free eNewslettersHow Buyouts, Early-Outs are Used
There remains a common misconception in the federal workplace that when an agency has buyout and/or early-out authority, it automatically …More
Early-Out Authorities Also Expiring
Meanwhile, blanket authority granted by the Office of Personnel Management to numerous agencies to offer early-out retirements also is due …More
Buyout Authorities Due to Expire
Buyout authority at several large agencies is due to expire either at the end of the current fiscal year, September …More
Scrutiny Would Be Applied
Under the buyout amendment, sponsored by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, agencies would have to submit for Office of Personnel Management …More
Buyout Plan Has Many Restrictions
An amendment to the Senate’s version of a bill to create a Homeland Security department (S-2452) would create government-wide buyout …More
Top Raise of Around $4,500 Is Possible
The most commonly applied cap affecting high-level careerists is the cap on total annual compensation at the Executive Schedule Level …More
Attempt to Bar Raise Unlikely
Attempts to block the raise for top officials that has the effect of lifting salary caps typically come as amendments …More
Pay Caps Set to Rise
The pay caps applying to career federal employees in several high-level salary systems appear likely to rise by 3.3 percent …More
Some Plans Change, Others Don’t
The delay of the TSP computer system launch means that several special considerations applying to the transition to that system …More
New TSP System Delayed Again
The Thrift Savings Plan has delayed yet again a package of changes linked to a new computer system, saying that …More
Rank Award Eligibility Expanded
Certain senior career federal employees would become eligible for Presidential Rank Awards, which up to now have been limited to …More
Leave Sharing Program Called a Stopgap
The federal leave sharing program does not prohibit the “otherwise-proper removal” of an employee, even if an employing agency has …More
COLA Count Creeps Up
With two months remaining in the counting period that will determine the January 2003 federal retiree cost-of-living adjustment, the COLA …More
Air Traffic Controller Retirement
An item in last week’s issue about a General Accounting Office report warning of an impending retirement wave of air …More
TSP Catch-Up Bills Still Alive
Sponsors of bills (HR-3340 and S-1822) that would allow TSP investors age 50 and older to make special “catch-up” investments …More
Revisions in Withdrawal Rules Considered
Two members of Congress who are leaders on the issue of investments and withdrawals from tax-favored retirement savings plans are …More
OPM’s Recommendations on Elder Care
The Office of Personnel Management has published a report on current agency efforts to help federal employees with their elder …More
Not Quite Day Trading
One of the features of the new system of most interest to a small but vocal minority of TSP participants …More
Keep That Statement
As of the end of August, the TSP is closing out its old computer system and will issue participant statements-and …More
TSP Transitioning to New System
The Thrift Savings Plan has started the transition to its much-awaited and long-delayed new computer system, which is set to …More
Senate Provisions Differ
The Senate version: extends DoD’s authority to pay buyouts by three years, through fiscal 2006; extends the Energy Department’s buyout …More
Conference on DoD Bill Upcoming
When Congress returns to work from its August recess, one of the orders of business will be a conference between …More
Another Retirement Wave Warning Issued
Many air traffic controllers hired in the early 1980s as replacements for those fired in the 1981 strike are getting …More
Mixed Message on Stock Funds
While investment losses in the stock funds are contributing to the shrinking share of those funds in overall investment allocations, …More
TSP Investors Getting More Conservative
The losses in the stock markets from 2000 to the present have brought a significant shift in TSP investor behavior. …More
Political Activity Restrictions on Federal Employees
With the campaigning season just ahead, it’s important for federal and postal employees to understand which activities are permissible and …More
Travel Comp Time Idea Raised
A provision in the Senate’s bill to create a Homeland Security department (S-2452) would address a long-standing complaint by federal …More
LTC Coverage Definition Expanded
A question on the “full underwriting” application form for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program is being changed to …More
Accounting Standards Raises FEHB Concern
The House’s action to impose uniform “cost accounting standards” on all FEHB plans has raised concerns that the largest FEHB …More
