Computation of FERS annuity supplement

Article Title: FERS annuity supplement Computation

Snippet of Article: "...The FERS annuity supplement is computed as if you were age 62 and fully insured for a social security benefit when the supplement begins. OPM first estimates what your full career (40 years) social security benefit would be. Then we calculate the amount of your civilian service under FERS and reduce the estimated full career social security benefit accordingly. For example, if your estimated full career social security benefit would be $1,000 and you had worked 30 years under FERS, we would divide 30 by 40 (.75) and multiply ($1,000 x .75 = $750). The result would be your FERS annuity supplement, prior to any reductions...."

Source: www.opm.gov Computation of FERS annuity supplement

Court sides with unions right to negotiate certain issues surrounding an agency's implementation of a Reduction in Force

Article Title: Court of Appeals Sides With AFGE in RIF Negotiability Case

Snippet of Article: "...In a case brought by the American Federation of Government Employees, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld the right of federal unions to negotiate certain issues surrounding an agency's implementation of a Reduction in Force...."

Source: www.marketwatch.com Reduction in Force

Employment Opportunities: Many psychiatrists needed at Fort Campbell

Article Title: Fort Campbell seeks psychiatrists, 48 needed

Snippet of Article: "...The greatest need is for clinical psychiatrists, said one of the post's psychiatrists, Maj. Joe Wise. "We'd love to have a flood of interest from clinical psychiatrists," he said, "but we're still recruiting and waiting."

On the USA Jobs website, the psychiatrist postings at Fort Campbell offered salaries starting at $96,000 up to $195,000. Competitive benefits packages are included and relocation expenses are paid up to 25 percent of salary...."

Source: www.wtvq.com

OPM contractor mailed postcards to about 3,000 federal retirees with their Social Security numbers

Article Title: OPM contractor accidentally exposes retirees' Social Security numbers

Snippet of Article: "...An Office of Personnel Management contractor last October accidentally mailed postcards to about 3,000 federal retirees on which their Social Security numbers were printed, according to an inspector general report released Wednesday...."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

Early retirement and buyout incentives offered to USPS Mail Handlers

Article Title: Mail Handlers to be offered retirement incentive

Snippet of Article: "...eligible Mail Handlers who choose to leave employment with the USPS on or before August 31, 2012 will each receive incentive payments totaling up to fifteen thousand dollars (for full-time employees)...."

Source: National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 317 Early retirement incentive, Mail Handler Buyout, Postal Buyout Incentives, Postal Retirement Incentive, Voluntary Early Retirement (VER)

Postal Service Lists of Mail Processing Facilities Slated for Closure or Consolidation

Article Title: List of Mail Processing Facilities Slated for Closure or Consolidation

Snippet of Article: "...the Postal Service issued its list of 140 mail processing facilities to be impacted during Phase 1 under its amended closure and consolidation plan. Today’s public announcement by USPS details the phased-in plan for several dozen closings or consolidations this August, as well as a plan for additional closings or consolidations beginning early in 2013..."

Source: National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 317 Mail Processing Closure List, Mail Processing Consolidation List, Phase 1 Mail Processing closure and Consolidation List, Postal Consolidation List

$20,000 Postal Service Buyouts Offered

Article Title: USPS offers buyouts to postmasters, drops plan to close post offices

Snippet of Article: "...Under heavy pressure from Congress, the U.S. Postal Service is shelving plans to close up to 3,700 post offices and instead will offer $20,000 buyouts to..."

Source: Postal Newsgroup

pending legislation to increase employee contributions toward annuity benefits

Article Title: Thrift Savings Plan: Groups ask about retirement benefits changes

Snippet of Article: "...Several members of the council raised concerns about pending legislation to increase required employee contributions toward annuity benefits in the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System. Last week, a House committee approved a bill to raise those contributions by 5 percent of salary..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Federal Employees Retirement System, Civil Service Retirement System,

New Secret Service conduct standards,

Article Title: US Secret Service Tightening Conduct Standards

Snippet of Article: "...The new standards released Friday specify that agents on international trips may not allow foreigners into their hotel rooms, may not visit so-called “non-reputable” establishments, and may not drink alcohol within 10 hours of going on duty...."

Source: voanews.com secret service conduct standards,

Social Security Number Breach Larger Than Thought

Article Title: 750,000 More Social Security Numbers Stolen by Hackers

Snippet of Article: "...Officials originally estimated that about 24,000 people had their records stolen after a computer tracked to Eastern Europe infiltrated a server beginning March 30, then changed that number to 182,000 victims. Health officials now believe a total of nearly 900,000..."

Source: socialsecuritynewsgroup.blogspot.com Social Security Breach, Social Security Numbers, Social Security Hacking,

GSA Probe Coming

Article Title: Lieberman calls for broader GSA probe into spending, hearings

Snippet of Article: "...Lieberman said he wants Miller to investigate the other regions “to make sure that there’s no similar behavior such as what we found in Region 9.” Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” the senator said his committee also plans to hold hearings..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com GSA,GSA Region 9, GSA Probe, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,

Will Congress Preserve Americans Right to One and Two Day Delivery Standard of Mail?

Article Title: Senate to Debate, Vote on Postal Bill – April 23

Snippet of Article: "...doesn’t do enough to ensure the USPS will be able to continue to provide the service the American people have every right to expect.”..."

Source: news-postal.blogspot.com Destruction of the postal service, lowering service standards, mail processing plant closures, mail service standards, postal bill, Save the Postal Service

Postal buyout incentives, early retirements, but still more plant closures

Article Title: Senate Seeks Ways to Save Postal Service

Snippet of Article: "...bill being debated on the Senate floor this week was recently modified to take into account the concerns of mostly rural states. For instance, it would:

• Cut in half the number of mail processing centers the Postal Services currently wants to close — from 252 to 125 — allowing more U.S. areas to maintain overnight first-class mail delivery for at least three more years...."

Source: www.time.com Postal buyout incentives, Early Retirements, mail processing center closures,

GSA “Hats Off Program” reaps nice benefits for Federal Employees

Article Title: GSA employee rewards program now also under scrutiny

Snippet of Article: "...Under a so-called “Hats Off Program,” operated by officials in the GSA’s Pacific Rim Region – and possibly other regions – “at least $200,000 worth of taxpayer funded iPods, gift cards and other valuable items were handed out to employees for questionable reasons at best,” wrote committee Chairman John Mica , R-Fla., and Rep. Jeff Denham , R-Calif...."

Source: www.govexec.com “Hats Off Program” , GSA, General Services Administration,

$822,000 General Services Administration (GSA) conference raises ire

Article Title: GSA head out after lavish spending by agency

Snippet of Article: "...It's supposed to set the standard for government efficiency and cost-cutting -- something a scathing new report clearly shows the GSA didn't do. The report has forced three top Washington officials out of their jobs..."

Source: www.cbsnews.com

USPS proposed health plan proposal would "massively disrupt or destroy the FEHBP"

Article Title: USPS plan to set up own health plan faces lawmakers' skepticism

Snippet of Article: "...One health care expert said the USPS health plan proposal would "massively disrupt or destroy the FEHBP." ..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com FEHBP, Postal Service Health Plan, Destruction of the Federal Employee Health Plan,

Is there an app for that? Android and iPhone Apps

Article Title: Etch A Sketch Craziness? Yep, There's an App For That

Snippet of Article: "...Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum holds an Etch A Sketch during a rally in Mandeville, La., ..."

Source: Android and iPhone Apps Etch A Sketch App

Budget plan calls for extending pay freeze through 2015

Article Title: GOP budget plan extends federal pay freeze, changes retirement benefits

Snippet of Article: "...The Republican budget plan for fiscal 2013 calls for extending the federal pay freeze through 2015, increasing federal retirement contributions and cutting the federal workforce by 10 percent. ..."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com Republican budget plan, Federal pay freeze, 2015 pay freeze,

Outfox Social Security

Article Title: How to Outsmart Social Security

Snippet of Article: "...A new working paper offers guidance on how to maximize this present value of benefits, depending on the circumstance. The authors, economists John Shoven at Stanford University and Sita Nataraj Slavov at Occidental College, received a grant from the Social Security Administration for their research..."

Source: Social Security News

Mail Processing Facility Closure "utter disaster" says...

Article Title: Closure of Frederick Mail Processing Facility 'utter disaster,' according to director of union organization

Snippet of Article: "...sent to Baltimore to be sorted, has been an “utter disaster,” overwhelming the Baltimore plant and leading to mail delays of, in some cases, more than a month, said Richard Shelley, who works at the Baltimore Processing and Distribution Facility ..."

Source: herald-mail.com

Justice Department employees may see furloughs

Article Title: Justice warns of 5-week furloughs for 100,000 employees

Snippet of Article: "...More than 100,000 Justice Department employees — about 86 percent of the agency's workforce — would be furloughed for five weeks on average if automatic budget cuts take effect in January, a department spokeswoman said Tuesday...."

Source: www.federaltimes.com Federal Employee furloughs, Justice Department employees, sequestration budget cuts,

Postal Service suspending mail processing network consolidations

Article Title: Postal Service suspending mail processing network consolidations during the election mailing season

Snippet of Article: "...efforts include suspending mail processing network consolidations during..."

Source: Postal Newsgroup mail processing network consolidations, moratorium,

Processing facility closures or consolidations not completed by the end of August will be put on hold

Article Title: Closure of some mail sites to be delayed for US vote

Snippet of Article: "...It announced on Wednesday that it would put any processing facility closures or consolidations not completed by the end of
August on hold until early 2013...."

Source: www.chicagotribune.com

Los Alamos National Laboratory buyouts on the way

Article Title: Los Alamos Residents Brace for Layoffs at Lab

Snippet of Article: "...need to lay off up to 11 percent of its 7,600 permanent employees, a target that officials hope can be reached through volunteers. On Thursday, the lab’s director, Charles F. McMillan, met with employees to explain the terms of buyouts..."

Source: www.nytimes.com Federal Employee Buyouts, Early Retirements,