Key Interest Rate Rises
The interest paid in the voluntary contribution retirement savings program available to CSRS (but not FERS) employees will rise to …More
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2018 Pay Raise Order Issued
President Trump has signed an executive order for a 2018 pay raise, showing that the average 1.9 percent raise that …More
Move to Cut Benefits Possible in January
With the latest partial government shutdown threat just recently avoided, federal employee organizations already are warning that the next deadline …More
Some Expectations Met in 2017, Others Not
For the federal workforce, the first year of the Trump administration in some ways played out as many had predicted, …More
Civil Service Reform Ideas Mostly Left to 2018
During 2017 neither the Trump administration nor civil service leaders in Congress made a serious move toward changing basic federal …More
Open Season Choices About to Take Effect
Insurance elections made during the recent benefits open season take effect in January–as of the first of the month for …More
Much of Telework is Not Regularly Scheduled
OPM’s latest report on telework by federal employees, covering 2016, shows that of employees deemed eligible to telework 48 percent …More
Management Resistance Still a Main Telework Barrier
The latest OPM report on telework, like those of past years, points to management resistance as a major barrier to …More
Shutdown Threat Kicked Down the Road Again
Congress on Thursday (December 21) delayed by a month the threat of a partial government shutdown, agreeing to the latest …More
Lack of Manager Training, Budgets Block use of Pay Enhancements, Incentives
Federal agencies have a number of ways to improve the compensation of their employees if salaries for their occupations are …More
Recruitment, Other Cash Incentives Concentrated on a Few
To the extent that agencies are using financial incentives available to them for their employees at all, the money is …More
OPM: More FEHB Choices Could Increase Competition, Lower Costs
OPM has proposed rules to address what it called an anomaly in FEHB rules, with the intent of expanding choice …More
Tax Changes Would Burden Already-Strapped IRS, Union Says
The passage by Congress of a package of tax changes would add new responsibilities to the IRS, which already is …More
Agencies Updating Plans for Employee Furloughs in Shutdown
With just over a week to go before another budgetary deadline threatening a partial government shutdown, a number of agencies …More
Continued Silence Keeps 1.9 Percent Raise on the Table
Congress is fast approaching the end of its working year having taken no position on a federal employee raise for …More
Reminder on Late-Year Leave Considerations
There still has been no indication from the White House regarding whether President Trump will grant federal employees additional paid …More
Defense Spending Bill Signed, $40K Buyout Authority Extended for DoD
President Trump has signed into law the annual DoD authorization bill, which among other things extends DoD’s authority to pay …More
OPM, MSPB Openings May Not Be Filled Anytime Soon
Vacancies remain in two key agencies for federal employees, OPM and MSPB, and with less than two weeks until Congress …More
Court Limits Whistleblower Protections
A disclosure that an agency is not meeting a “discretionary and aspirational” timeline for action is not protected as whistleblowing, …More
Delay of Shutdown Threat Approved
Congress has approved an extension of current agency spending authority until December 22, relieving the immediate threat of a partial …More
Bill to Extend Probationary Period Advances, May Stall
The House has passed a bill (HR-4182) to double to two years the standard probationary period for federal employees government-wide, …More
TSP to Change I Fund Index, Leave Others as Is
The TSP’s governing board has decided to replace the current index used in its international stock I fund in order …More
TSP on Withdrawal Changes: We’re Working on It
The TSP says it is working to carry out changes in withdrawal policies recently enacted into law, although there is …More
Employment Levels Held about Steady in 2017
OPM data show a slight decrease in federal employment in fiscal 2017, although down to a level that still is …More
Shutdown Countdown about to Start
Congress and the White House now have just days remaining to continue federal agency spending authority beyond the expiration December …More
How Decisions are Made on Who’s Furloughed in Shutdown
In a partial government shutdown, media reports–and employees themselves–commonly express the difference between those who remain on the job and …More
Senate Joins in Silence on Raise
The Senate appears poised to join the House in remaining silent regarding a January 2018 federal employee raise, likely once …More
Time Running Out on Potential Benefits Changes
With working time in the current legislative year dwindling, prospects continue to decrease for Congress taking action on federal employee …More
House to Consider Lengthening Probationary Period
The House is set to vote this week on a bill (HR-4182) to lengthen the standard competitive service probationary period …More
Longer Probation Would Not Affect Most Current Federal Employees
A House bill (HR-4182) up for a vote this week to double the standard probationary period government-wide primarily would apply …More
