News for the federal worker and those interested in official news of the federal government, federal civilian service employees and civil servants. Various federal news articles with reference citations.
Snippet of Article: "...The "No TikTok on Government Devices Act" from Senator Josh Hawley was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs..."
Source: www.businesstoday.inSnippet of Article: "..."Without congressional intervention, USCIS will need to administratively furlough a portion of our employees on approximately July 20," a USCIS spokesperson said..."
Source: www.msn.comSnippet of Article: "...On Monday, Dahl and other officials from his office told a House oversight subcommittee that they've seen a "significant amount of fraud" in unemployment programs during the coronavirus pandemic. He told lawmakers that DOL punted on his recommendation that states should collect more earnings information from applicants to combat the fraud. Dahl also said he was "very surprised" that DOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration had only issued one citation during the entire Covid-19 pandemic..."
Source: yahoo.comSnippet of Article: "...The Transportation Security Administration will soon offer early retirements to employees across the agency. TSA says it’ll share the details and terms with employees eligible for a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority some time next month. TSA tells Federal News Network that VERA offers won’t come with incentive payments. The agency had received early retirement authority through April 2021 from the Office of Personnel Management. Federal employees who have 25 years of service at any age or have 20 years of service and are at least 50 years old are usually eligible for a VERA..."
Source: federalnewsnetwork.comSnippet of Article: "...Amazon is once again challenging the Department of Defense’s decision to award a $10 billion cloud contract to Microsoft. Amazon filed a protest of the award directly with the DoD after a federal judge temporarily paused litigation on a lawsuit filed last year..."
Source: www.msn.comSnippet of Article: "...a fearful worker could conceivably seek to continue their existing posture of full-time telework. “The reality for federal employees is that the government has discretion to determine whether or not to allow telework, but they cannot use that discretion in an inequitable manner,” Friedman said. “So the first thing that feds should focus on is if they’ve been allowed to telework up until now, and they’re suddenly told that’s going to be taken away, they should ensure that’s a policy issued to all employees and not just targeted toward some. If it is targeted, perhaps there’s a potential [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] issue or a prohibited practice issue.”..."
Source: www.govexec.comSnippet of Article: "...local elected officials pressured the facility to release more information about its COVID-19 outbreak. After more than a week of providing little cooperation or information, officials at the Federal Medical Center on Leestown Road said they will test all employees at the prison. So far, only inmates showing symptoms of the disease have been tested, leaving employees to seek testing on their own..."
Source: www.kentucky.comSnippet of Article: "...U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) made a "threshold determination" that the Trump administration unlawfully sidelined disease expert Rick Bright because he "made protected disclosures in the best interest of the American public," Bright's lawyers said in the statement. OSC's recommendation is not binding on the administration..."
Source: www.nytimes.comSnippet of Article: "...All of Congress is also specifically exempt from the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act — meaning no citizen can file a request to see congressional papers, whereas federal agencies must share theirs. Supreme Court justices never run for office, but the justices’ papers are even more protected than those of U.S. senators..."
Source: thehill.comSnippet of Article: "...For your information, per the CDC, options for decisions about return-to-work for individuals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 include a test-based strategy or a non-test based strategy. The USPS is currently applying the non-test based strategy in the majority of cases...READ POLICY HERE (PDF Document)"
Source: USPS via NPMHUSnippet of Article: "...Agencies have new guidelines now from the Trump administration, which detail how, consistent with local conditions, they should gradually begin to reopen federal offices and call their employees back from mandatory telework programs during the coronavirus pandemic. The guidance, which..."
Source: federalnewsnetwork.comSnippet of Article: "...Another Montgomery employee of the United States Postal Services has contracted the COVID-19 respiratory virus, according to a USPS spokesperson. The news comes days after a night shift employee at Montgomery’s main processing center died of the illness. The latest case was confirmed in an employee at the Shakespeare Post Office located on Eastern Boulevard. USPS Spokesperson for the Alabama District Debra J. Fetterly says the employee is classified as a retail associate..."
Source: www.wsfa.comSnippet of Article: "...with regret and sorrow that the National Union announces the passing of Seattle P&DC Mail Handler Querubin “Sonny” Quitlong. His death is attributed to complications from the coronavirus..."
Source: National Postal Mail Handlers UnionSnippet of Article: "...A Montgomery postal service worker has died from COVID-19, United States Postal Service officials confirmed Monday. The employee worked night shifts handling letters, cards and packages at the processing and distribution center on Winton Blount Boulevard, according to Debra J. Fetterly, the USPS spokesperson for the Alabama District..."
Source: www.wsfa.comSnippet of Article: "... 50-year-old letter carrier Rakkhon Kim, a member of Branch 36 in New York City, passed away Wednesday, March 25, from complications related to COVID-19..."
Source: www.nalc.orgSnippet of Article: "...US sounded alarm on Wuhan lab studying coronavirus two years ago, report says State Department cables obtained by The Washington Post warned about the safety and security of coronavirus testing on bats in China in 2018; Gillian Turner reports...Despite evidence that points to dangerous practices inside the Wuhan labs, top U.S. military brass, as well as other senior officials, have told Fox News that the origins of COVID-19 did not come from a laboratory nor was it the result of a bioweapon. "And if I could just be clear, there is nothing to that," Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs told Fox News last week..."
Source: www.foxnews.comSnippet of Article: "...The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Baltimore area postal employees is up to 11, according to the Baltimore District spokeswoman..."
Source: yahoo.comSnippet of Article: "...Two U.S. Postal Service employees from Winter Park tested positive for COVID-19 Monday..."
Source: www.orlandosentinel.comSnippet of Article: "...51 USPS employees had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday. On top of that, nearly 2,000 were in quarantine. "As the number of confirmed positive coronavirus cases have increased throughout the general public, so too have been the number of postal employees who have tested positive..."
Source: www.businessinsider.comSnippet of Article: "...Federal law requires agencies to provide a 25% increase in pay for duty involving “unusual physical hardship or hazard.” OPM regulations specifically list exposure to viruses as a condition that would make federal workers eligible for hazard pay. “The schedule of hazardous duty pay differentials set forth in [OPM’s regulations] provides that agencies shall pay a 25% hazard pay differential..."
Source: www.govexec.comSnippet of Article: "...Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin has said checks of up to $1,200 per person and $500 per child will go out within three weeks of President Trump signing the legislation..."
Source: www.gopusa.comSnippet of Article: "...employer while working from home, Some have privacy concerns simply over the lack of privacy while video conferencing. We have a few tips to relieve some of the stress over your privacy concerns:
Hang a sheet from the ceiling around your work area to block the view of items in your home
Put some clothes on! You don't want to become the next porn star of the office
Don't pick your nose! Hey, it has taken you years to..."
Snippet of Article: "...The coronavirus can survive on surfaces for up to 17 days, a study published Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says...on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated...” the researchers wrote"
Source: www.cnbc.comSnippet of Article: "...Prince’s referrals led to payments totaling about $20 million from the VA to the Prince-related home health agencies, which were run by associates including his wife, his brother-in-law, his half-sister an..."
Source: www.denverpost.comSnippet of Article: "...Beginning Monday, March 16, military members are required to stop all domestic travel, while family members and civilians are required to stop all government-funded domestic travel. DOD will onboard civilians in local commuting areas only, and military members are restricted to local leave only..."
Source: whnt.comSnippet of Article: "...Ivan Van Beverhoudt was stationed in the US Virgin Islands and one of his duties was to inspect flights in order to prevent the importation of controlled substances, according to a news release from the US Attorney's Office in Atlanta..."
Source: www.cnn.comSnippet of Article: "...A U.S. Postal Service employee at a Federal Way distribution center has tested positive for the coronavirus. A USPS spokesperson confirmed with media that the employee works at the Seattle Network Distribution Center at 34301 9th Ave. S. in Federal Way..."
Source: www.seattleweekly.comSnippet of Article: "...Italy reported a sixth death from the coronavirus Monday, as authorities imposed quarantines and other restrictions in the country’s economic heartland to fight what is now the world’s third-biggest national outbreak after China and South Korea..."
Source: www.wsj.comSnippet of Article: "... Transportation Security Administration said Sunday it has stopped allowing employees to use the China-owned video app TikTok to create social media posts for the agency after the Senate’s top Democrat raised concerns about potential national security issues..."
Source: www.marketwatch.comSnippet of Article: "...president Thursday, gives all federal employees at least a 2.6% raise – the largest federal increase in a decade. The pay hike will go into effect during the first full pay period of 2020 – Jan. 5 for most employees..."
Source: www.usnews.comSnippet of Article: "...Melissa Stinsman, a worker for the Bloomsburg Post Office, helps answer letters written to Santa...One child’s message to Santa, however, really stood out to her. Inside the envelope, which contained three letters, she found a note that read, “Dear Santa, last year you didn’t notice me, so I hope this year you notice me and this year I will be good..."
Source: www.foxnews.com By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, the day before Christmas Day.
Sec. 2. The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2019, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.
Sec. 3. December 24, 2019, shall be considered as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the pay and leave of employees of the United States.
Sec. 4. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement this order.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 17, 2019.
Snippet of Article: "...Under current federal law, federal civilian workers are only eligible for three months of unpaid leave. When passed, the bill would secure paid parental leave for all federal employees for the first time..."
Source: www.syracuse.comSnippet of Article: "...(December 4, 2019) All TSP participants must have validated contact information and use two-step authentication to log into My Account before the end of 2019. You can avoid interruption to your account access by adding these security features in your My Account Profile Settings now. Download instructions (pdf)PDF file. Two-step authentication helps protect your account against fraud. This login process is more secure because it means that online access to your account requires something you know (your account number or username and password) and something you have (the one-time code you receive in your email or on your phone). Someone who tries to log into your account fraudulently won’t be able to gain access without the code. We recommend that you include at least one contact method on your account that will stay with you through career, such as a personal email...."
Source: www.tsp.govSnippet of Article: "...The failures were so severe they “present a risk to the successful completion of the 2020 Census program,” according to the Commerce Department’s inspector general..."
Source: www.govexec.comSnippet of Article: "...The NPMHU congratulates Postmaster General Megan Brennan on her pending retirement and thanks her for her 33 years of service to the United States Postal Service..."
Source: NPMHU 317Snippet of Article: "...all participants now have more options when seeking to withdraw retirement savings from their TSP accounts. For a detailed summary of the new withdrawal options, read our updated fact sheet, Questions and Answers about Changes to TSP Withdrawal Options PDF file. For information about in-service withdrawal options, visit the “In-Service Withdrawals” section of tsp.gov and download our updated booklet, In-Service Withdrawals PDF file. For information about post-separation withdrawals, visit the “Withdrawals After Leaving Federal Service” section of tsp.gov and download our updated booklet Withdrawing from Your TSP Account PDF file...."
Source: www.tsp.govSnippet of Article: "...recipients of Social Security benefits, is a downgrade from the 2.8% increase some federal retirees received in 2019, and the 2% boost they saw in 2018. The annual COLA is based on the percentage increase in the average Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W)..."
Source: www.govexec.comSnippet of Article: "...Feds are facing a steep increase in insurance premiums under the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan in 2020. The Office of Personnel Management announced Oct. 2 that federal workers and retirees enrolled in the FEHB program..."
Source: fcw.comSnippet of Article: "...The Huntsville Police Department says it is working with federal authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI, on part of a federal law enforcement operation..."
Source: www.waaytv.com
everify Social Security Lock | Protect Yourself From The Foreign Invasion Snippet of Article: "...Self Lock is the unique feature...