Friday, October 30, 2009

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)

Article Title: American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
Snippet of Article: "... the largest federal employee union representing 600,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas. Workers in virtually all functions of government at every federal agency depend upon AFGE for legal representation, legislative advocacy, technical expertise and informational services.

The union is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and divided into 12 geographical districts consisting of some 1,100 Locals. Over one-half of AFGE's members are consolidated into agency-wide bargaining units. Agencies with the highest concentration of union membership include the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Justice. ..."


Source: www.afge.org

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Senior Executives Association

Article Title: Senior Executives Association
Snippet of Article: "... The Senior Executives Association is a nonprofit professional association that promotes ethical and dynamic public service by fostering an outstanding career executive corps, advocates the interests of career federal executives (both active and retired), and provides information and services to SEA members. ..."


Source: www.seniorexecs.org

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Should Rules for All Include Congress?

Article Title: Should Rules for All Include Congress?
Snippet of Article: "...Congress is covered now by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the same plan that covers eight million other federal workers, retirees and their families...."


Source: prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Federal Benefits Open Season 2010

Article Title: Federal Benefits Open Season
Snippet of Article: "...the 2010 Federal Benefits Open Season.
This year’s Open Season will run from November 9 through December 14, 2009. ... The opportunity for you to choose health, dental, and vision insurance coverage for 2010, and whether contributing to a health and/or dependent care flexible spending account will save you money by using pre-tax contributions to pay your out-of-pocket costs. You should review your options for the following programs: ..."


Source: www.opm.gov

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Congress passes bill that offers flurry of new benefits to feds

Article Title: Congress passes bill that offers flurry of new benefits to feds
Snippet of Article: "...This would add three months to the average FERS employee’s time in service when his retirement annuity is calculated, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. That would increase retirement checks by an average of $150 each year, CBO said. ..."


Source: www.federaltimes.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Eye Opener: Federal Retirees to Get $250?

Article Title: Eye Opener: Federal Retirees to Get $250?
Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees ineligible to receive Social Security benefits would still get a one-time $250 payment next year if President Obama gets his way...."


Source: washingtonpost.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Monday, October 19, 2009

Federal Employee Health Care Premiums to Rise Sharply

Article Title: What OPM isn’t doing to contain health rates
Snippet of Article: "...the Office of Personnel Management announced last month that health care premiums for federal employees and retirees were jumping 7.4 percent on average..."


Source: www.federaltimes.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

FERS Sick-Leave Credit Included In Defense Authorization Bill

Article Title: FERS Sick-Leave Credit Included In Defense Authorization Bill
Snippet of Article: "...The compromise legislation also includes a provision that would make it easier for federal agencies, including the Postal Service, to rehire retirees (for a limited time) without forcing them to take a cut in their annuity checks. “This provision will help eliminate the USPS objections to APWU’s efforts to return postal retirees to employment,” Burrus said. “If the bill is passed, the union will renew our discussion with management on this issue.”..."


Source: www.apwu.org

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Thursday, October 8, 2009

2009 Federal Benefits Open Season: FEDVIP and FEHB Program Significant Plan Changes

Article Title: 2009 Federal Benefits Open Season: FEDVIP and FEHB Program Significant Plan Changes
Snippet of Article: "...This year’s Federal Benefits Open Season will run from Monday, November 9, through Monday, December 14, 2009...."

Source: www.opm.gov

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Thrift Savings Plan Rates of Return for September 2009


Article Title: Thrift Savings Plan Rates of Return for September 2009
Note: Click the Image to Enlarge

Source: http://www.tsp.gov/rates/monthly-current.html


[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

CRS — The Federal Protective Service and Contract Security Guards: A Statutory History and Current Status

Article Title: CRS — The Federal Protective Service and Contract Security Guards: A Statutory History and Current Status
Snippet of Article: "...Federal Protective Service (FPS)—within U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—is responsible for protecting federal government property,..."


Source: www.docuticker.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Monday, September 28, 2009

Locality Pay Areas

Article Title: Locality Pay Areas
Snippet of Article: "...Under 5 U.S.C. 5304(e)(2)(A), the Federal Salary Council made a recommendation to the Pay Agent on the composition of locality pay areas for 2010. This recommendation was transmitted to the Pay Agent in a memorandum dated October 14, 2008...."


Source: www.opm.gov

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Federal pay likely to be next hot topic for Congress

Article Title: Federal pay likely to be next hot topic for Congress
Snippet of Article: "...The president thinks the tough economic times require a more conservative approach to the 2010 raise, but most employees feel pretty comfortable with the work that has been put in and feel the larger raise would be money well spent...."


Source: fredericksburg.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Friday, September 25, 2009

Federal Employees Health Benefits Threatened

Article Title: Federal Employees Health Benefits Threatened
Snippet of Article: "...the amendment that would boot all federal employees, including members of Congress, as well as federal retirees from their current health insurance plans beginning in 2013. For now, it appears that feds have dodged a bullet as the amendment was modified to eliminate the word “require”..."


Source: ohmygov.com

[tag]FEHB [/tag]

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Federal Employee Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Fraud Scheme

Article Title: Federal Employee Pleads Guilty in Identity Theft Fraud Scheme
Snippet of Article: "...used her government-issued computer to obtain online payday loans using personal identification information of sentenced defendants obtained through her employment. Wallace admitted that she illegally gained approximately $34,435 in total through her fraudulent scheme.
..."


Source: www.americanchronicle.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Cybersecurity Plan Doesn't Breach Employee Privacy, Administration Says

Article Title: Cybersecurity Plan Doesn't Breach Employee Privacy, Administration Says
Snippet of Article: "...By notifying government employees logging on to their computers that they have "no reasonable expectation of privacy" while using the network, the government's Einstein 2 program is lawful, according to an Aug. 14 Justice Department memo that was released Friday. That applies to a private citizen who, say, sends an e-mail to a government employee -- even to the employee's private account if he or she opens it at work, wrote David J. Barron, acting assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel. ..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Friday, September 18, 2009

Health Coverage Not Universal For Federal Workforce

Article Title: Health Coverage Not Universal For Federal Workforce
Snippet of Article: "...But one overlooked aspect of the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program is that many federal workers go without health insurance for themselves or members of their families. ..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

How to Win Federal Contracts

Article Title: How to Win Federal Contracts
Snippet of Article: "...The U.S. Small Business Administration today launched a new online training course to help strengthen access to contracting opportunities for small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, disadvantaged individuals and veterans...."


Source: www.mainstreetbusinessjournal.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

A federal hiring spree? When? Where?

Article Title: A federal hiring spree? When? Where?
Snippet of Article: "...You might be thinking, "If there are 35 agencies that are hiring, who is going to hire the most? Where is my best chance at employment?" The top three agencies that will be hiring the largest number of employees will be the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense...."


Source: www.examiner.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Monday, September 14, 2009

OPM: Special Retirement Supplement (FERS Supplement)

Article Title: Special Retirement Supplement (FERS Supplement)
Snippet of Article: "...If you transfer to FERS and you have at least 1 calendar year (January 1 to December 31) of FERS service when you retire, you will be eligible for the Special Retirement Supplement. The special retirement supplement (also known as the FERS supplement) is unique to FERS. It substitutes for the Social Security part of your total FERS benefit until age 62, when most people become eligible for Social Security. The purpose of the supplement is to provide a level of income before age 62 similar to what you will receive at age 62 as part of a Social Security benefit. The supplement stops at age 62 even if you are not eligible for Social Security. Like Social Security benefits, the supplement is subject to an earnings test, which means the supplement is reduced if your income from earnings or self-employment is higher than an allowable amount...."


Source: www.opm.gov

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Time running out on NSPS, sick leave, postal rescue bills

Article Title: Time running out on NSPS, sick leave, postal rescue bills
Snippet of Article: "...Provide a raise to federal employees. Likely, it will be 2.0 percent, not the 2.9 percent raise that President Barack Obama proposed for the military or the 3.4 percent raise that Congress is poised to approve for the military. Last week, Obama reiterated his call for a 2 percent pay raise for federal employees in January 2010. Now it appears likely Congress will support that. ..."


Source: www.federaltimes.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Worker Status Checks to Start

Article Title: Worker Status Checks to Start
Snippet of Article: "...Agencies across the federal government on Tuesday will start ordering contractors to use an electronic system to verify whether their employees are eligible to work in the U.S. The sweeping new mandate, crafted by the Bush White House but being implemented by the Obama administration..."


Source: wsj.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Saturday, September 5, 2009

If you want an IT job, the U.S. is hiring -- big time

Article Title: If you want an IT job, the U.S. is hiring -- big time
Snippet of Article: "...The U.S. government needs to hire more than 11,500 IT professionals over the next three years to fill critical technology jobs, many of which will be left by retiring Baby Boomers. That's according to a new study, completed with the help of federal agencies, that looks at the ages of workers and projects turnover...."


Source: www.computerworld.com

[tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

2010 Federal Employee Pay Raise and Locality Pay

The following is full text of A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE. The letter from President Obama, desrcibes his alternative plan for pay increases for civilian Federal employees covered by the General Schedule (GS) and certain other pay systems in January 2010, which reduces the 2010 Federal Pay Raise to 2%.

  • THE WHITE HOUSE

    Office of the Press Secretary
    ___________________________________________________________________________
    For Immediate Release August 31, 2009

    TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

    August 31, 2009

    Dear Madam Speaker: (Mr. President:)

    I am transmitting an alternative plan for pay increases for civilian Federal employees covered by the General Schedule (GS) and certain other pay systems in January 2010.

    Under Title 5, United States Code, civilian Federal employees covered by the GS and certain other pay systems would receive a two-part pay increase in January 2010: (1) a 2.4 percent across-the-board adjustment in scheduled rates of basic pay derived from Employment Cost Index data on changes in the wages and salaries of private industry workers, and (2) locality pay adjustments averaging 16.5 percent based on Bureau of Labor Statistics salary surveys of non-Federal employers in each locality pay area. According to the statutory formula, for Federal employees covered by the locality pay system, the overall average pay increase would be about 18.9 percent. This total Federal employee pay increase would cost about $22.6 billion in fiscal year 2010 alone.

    Title 5, United States Code, authorizes me to implement an alternative pay plan if I view the adjustments that would otherwise take effect as inappropriate due to "national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare." For the reasons described below, I have determined that it is appropriate to exercise my statutory alternative plan authority to set an alternative January 2010 across-the-board pay increase. If needed, I will provide a plan for locality pay rates by the statutory deadline of November 30.

    A national emergency, within the meaning of chapter 53 of title 5, has existed since September 11, 2001. Likewise, with unemployment at 9.5 percent in June to cite just one economic indicator, few would disagree that our country is facing serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare. The growth in Federal requirements is straining the Federal budget. Full statutory civilian pay increases costing $22.6 billion in 2010 alone would put even more stress on our budget. Such an increase would cost $19.9 billion more than the 2.0 percent overall Federal civilian pay increase that I proposed in my 2010 Budget and would build in later years.

    Accordingly, I have determined that under the authority of section 5303(b) of title 5, United States Code, an across-theboard increase of 2.0 percent shall go into effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2010.

    Finally, the law requires that I include in this report an assessment of the impact of my decision on the Government's ability to recruit and retain well-qualified employees. I do not believe this decision will materially affect our ability to continue to attract and retain a quality Federal workforce. To the contrary, since any pay raise above the amount proposed in this alternative plan would likely be unfunded, agencies would have to absorb the additional cost and could have to reduce hiring to pay the higher rates. Moreover, the GS "quit" rate continues to be very low (2.1 percent on an annual basis), well below the overall average "quit" rate in private enterprise. Should the need arise, the Government has many compensation flexibilities, such as recruitment and retention incentives, and special salary rates, to maintain the high quality workforce that serves our Nation.

    Sincerely,
    BARACK OBAMA


  • Reference: The White House: August 31, 2009 - TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

    Additional References:
    Cornell University Law School


    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Tuesday, September 1, 2009

    Obama Cuts 2010 Pay Increase for Federal Employees to 2 Percent

    Article Title: Obama Cuts 2010 Pay Increase for Federal Employees to 2 Percent
    Snippet of Article: "...Obama reduced next year’s pay increase for federal employees to 2 percent from 2.4 percent because of an ongoing “national emergency” and..."


    Source: www.bloomberg.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Tuesday, August 25, 2009

    Post Office Offers $15,000 Retirement Incentive Now!

    USPS Offers $15,000 Retirement or Resignation Incentive
    The United States Postal Service is offering a $15,000 Retirement or resignation incentive to certain employees. The first installment will be $10,000 in November 2009 and the other $5000 will be one year later. Mailings will go out in the next few days to eligible employees. Stay tuned for more details. Update coming soon. The Postal Newsgroup

    Monday, August 24, 2009

    Do members of Congress pay into Social Security?

    Article Title: Eating Crow……..Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken!
    Snippet of Article: "...Members of Congress began paying into Social Security in 1983..."


    Source: www.jacksonville.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    No cost of living increase for Social Security

    Article Title: No cost of living increase for Social Security
    Snippet of Article: "...For the first time in a generation, the trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. ..."


    Source: www.digitaljournal.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Wednesday, August 19, 2009

    Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of a Computer Matching Program

    Article Title: Privacy Act of 1974; Notice of a Computer Matching Program
    Snippet of Article: "...The DoD, as the matching agency under the Privacy Act is hereby giving notice to the record subjects of a computer matching program between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and DoD that their records are being matched by computer. The purpose of this agreement is to verify an individual's continuing eligibility for VA benefits by identifying VA disability benefit recipients who return to active [Page Number 39648] duty and to ensure that benefits are terminated if appropriate...."


    Source: callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Monday, August 17, 2009

    Federal Employee Furloughs

    Article Title: Can Obama Order Federal Furloughs?
    Snippet of Article: "...15 days without pay to turn that money back to taxpayers' use, because they're getting laid off, they're getting cut back, there are no jobs out there," Daley said earlier this month...."


    Source: washingtonpost.com

    [tag]Furlough, [/tag]

    Obama labor relations proposal draws praise

    Article Title: Obama labor relations proposal draws praise
    Snippet of Article: "...Dougan said he thought including two more federal employee unions on the council would be productive, because they would broaden the cross-section of front-line employees represented...."


    Source: www.govexec.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Saturday, August 15, 2009

    New USPTO head faces rocky seas ahead

    Article Title: New USPTO head faces rocky seas ahead
    Snippet of Article: "...Only the recent passage of H.R. 3114 -- emergency legislation approved by Congress before they left town for August recess, and signed by President Obama -- gave the patent side of PTO temporary authority to borrow as much as $70 million from the trademark side. That action staved off the prospects of layoffs. ..."


    Source: www.federalnewsradio.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Wednesday, August 12, 2009

    National Labor Relations

    Article Title: Obama Follows Clinton's Lead On Creating Labor Council
    Snippet of Article: "...create agency-level forums charged with identifying and correcting federal workplace problems, provide for the involvement of employees and union representatives in decisions before those decisions are final, and develop an evaluation process to document "progress and improvements in employee satisfaction and organizational performance."..."


    Source: www.washingtonpost.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Monday, August 10, 2009

    2008 Federal Employee Salary Search

    Article Title: 2008 Federal Employee Salary Search
    Snippet of Article: "...Enter a name, or select an agency, job title or location to begin your search. Not all fields need to be filled out. The results will show the adjusted base salary and any merit award from federal fiscal year 2008. On the results page, you may click on a column heading to sort the results.
    Employees involved in security work, the FBI, CIA, Defense Department, nuclear materials, IRS, and jobs essential to national security are excluded...."


    Source: app.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Your Social Security retirement or disability benefits may be reduced

    Article Title: Your Social Security retirement or disability benefits may be reduced
    Snippet of Article: "...The Windfall Elimination Provision primarily affects you if you earned a pension in any job where you did not pay Social Security taxes and you also worked in other jobs long enough to qualify for a Social Security retirement or disability benefit. For example..."


    Source: www.ssa.gov

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Sunday, August 9, 2009

    2010 Federal Retiree COLA

    Article Title: CAUSEY: Retirees won't get COLAs next year
    Snippet of Article: "...COLA!

    Monthly payments to the millions under Social Security, federal civil service or military retirement plans will be the same next year as they are right now. However...."


    Source: www.washingtontimes.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Thursday, August 6, 2009

    Protect America, Stop Obama's Defense Cuts

    Article Title: Protect America, Stop Obama's Defense Cuts
    Snippet of Article: "...protect America by:
    * restoring missile defense funding,
    * giving our troops the equipment they need to complete their missions, and,
    * not including war funding, maintain a minimum defense budget of 4% of GDP...."


    Source: www.heritage.org

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Wednesday, August 5, 2009

    Federal Employees give career advice

    Article Title: [PDF] Federal Employees give career advice
    Snippet of Article: "...summarized what Federal employees perceive to be important career accelerators in the accompanying table. These accelerators provide practical strategies for employees to explore in terms of how to advance their careers, as well as identifying roles supervisors can play in helping them...."


    Source: www.mspb.gov

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Monday, August 3, 2009

    Former AMCOM Employee Claims He Paid the Price for Exposing Fake Degrees

    Article Title: Former AMCOM Employee Claims He Paid the Price for Exposing Fake Degrees
    Snippet of Article: "...Maxey filed a grievance against AMCOM and was represented by the American Federation of Government Employees Union... stated in the grievance that "Major General Pillsbury has a problem for his AMCOM representative to the U.S. Ambassador, the Office of Military Cooperation Commander, and the Egyptian government is an employee... with known bogus credentials." Pillsbury denied the grievance and his decision was final....."


    Source: www.whnt.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]

    Postal Service Layoffs?

    Article Title: Stopping Saturday mail delivery could mean layoffs for USPS
    Snippet of Article: "...layoffs are a possibility, a top USPS official acknowledged to House lawmakers on Thursday.

    "I can't say or guarantee that there wouldn't be layoffs," said Jordan Small, USPS acting vice president..."


    Source: www.govexec.com

    [tag]Federal,Government,Military,Retiree, [/tag]