Sunday, November 22, 2020

Born in 1960? Your Social Security Retirement or Disability Benefits Could Take a Hit

Born in 1960? Your Social Security Retirement or Disability Benefits Could Take a Hit

Snippet of Article: "...Roughly 4 million people born in 1960 could see a big drop in their Social Security retirement or disability benefits if Congress doesn't act to fix this year's glitch in how benefits are calculated. Like seemingly everything else in 2020, the pandemic is largely to blame..."

Source: www.aarp.org

will Biden help those born in 1960?,Social Security,Biden Legacy,Coronavirus,COVID-19,Pandemic,

Monday, November 16, 2020

Assessing when you can afford to retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System

Assessing when you can afford to retire under the Federal Employees Retirement System

Snippet of Article: "... Suppose John will have 30 years of service this year, including six years of military service (for which he has paid a deposit) and 24 years under FERS. He's 59, so he's past the FERS minimum retirement age. If he retires with 30 years of service, his FERS basic retirement will provide 30 percent of his high-three average salary. He's been at the GS 13-10 level for the past three years. His current salary is $113,007. His retirement will be computed as: 30% x $108,027 (high-three average) = $3...Wait to retire at 62. Then his FERS benefit will be computed at 1.1 percent for every year of service, instead of 1 percent, a 10 percent increase..."

Source: www.govexec.com

Thursday, November 12, 2020

2021 federal open season begins

2021 federal open season begins

Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees have just over a month to make any planned changes to their health, dental and vision insurance options, as open season for feds began Nov. 9..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

2021 open season,When is 2021 open season?,

Friday, September 18, 2020

Whistleblower Resources for Federal Employees

Whistleblower Resources for Federal Employees

Snippet of Article: "...Deciding to blow the whistle on wrongdoing can be the single most important professional decision you ever have to make. Whistleblowing is risky and difficult. History also shows it...Whistleblowing is not a crime—in many cases, it is a legally-protected right"

Source: www.pogo.org

Whistleblower Protections,

Thursday, September 10, 2020

The Battle Over Federal Employees’ Payroll Taxes

The Battle Over Federal Employees’ Payroll Taxes

Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees who make less than $104,000 annually will see bigger paychecks starting this month and lasting through the end of the year. The 6.2% payroll tax will be deferred from eligible federal employees’ paychecks until the end of the year..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com

Social Security Payroll Tax, Payroll Taxes, Taxes,

Saturday, August 22, 2020

CDC to start surveying nation's wastewater

CDC to start surveying nation's wastewater

Snippet of Article: "... The federal government plans to start surveying America's wastewater to better understand the spread of COVID-19 in communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that they are creating a national database on wastewater data..."

Source: abcnews.go.com

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Wastewater Analytics, wastewater data, National Database,

Friday, August 21, 2020

More dental and vision insurance plans to be offered for 2021 open season (Nov. 9 to Dec. 14)

More dental and vision insurance plans to be offered for 2021 open season

Snippet of Article: "...Those eligible for the FEDVIP program will be able to enroll, cancel or change their coverage during the 2021 open enrollment season, which lasts from Nov. 9 to Dec. 14 this year..."

Source: www.federaltimes.com

FEDVIP, 2021 open season, 2021 open enrollment season, dental and vision insurance plans, When is 2021 open season?,

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

DOJ charges former CIA, FBI official with selling classified US secrets to China

DOJ charges former CIA, FBI official with selling classified US secrets to China

Snippet of Article: "...Federal prosecutors said Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, a 67-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen living in Honolulu, worked as a CIA officer from 1982 to 1989 -- and starting as early as 2001, an FBI investigation found he had "become a compromised asset" of China's Ministry of State Security. Ma was allegedly captured on both video..."

Source: www.yahoo.com

DoJ, CIA, FBI, selling classified US secrets,

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Employee bloated Postal Service loses $2.2B in 3 months as virus woes persist

Employee bloated Postal Service loses $2.2B in 3 months as virus woes persist

Snippet of Article: "...DeJoy offered a gloomy picture of the 630,000-employee agency Friday in his first public remarks since taking the top job in June. “Our financial position is dire, stemming from substantial declines in mail volume, a broken business model and a management strategy that has not adequately addressed these issues,” DeJoy told the postal board of governors at a meeting Friday. “Without dramatic change, there is no end in sight,” DeJoy said..."

Source: www.wtnh.com

Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General DeJoy, Overtime Abuse, Postal buyout incentives, Too Many Senior Employees,

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

‘Drone Swarm’ Invaded Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant Last September — Twice

‘Drone Swarm’ Invaded Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant Last September — Twice

Snippet of Article: "...Documents gained under the Freedom of Information Act show how a number of small drones flew around a restricted area at Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant on two successive nights last September. Security forces watched, but were apparently helpless to act..."

Source: www.forbes.com

Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant, Freedom of Information Act, Drones, Security Breach, National Security Issues,

Saturday, July 25, 2020

TikTok app to be banned on US federal employees' devices over data concerns

TikTok app to be banned on US federal employees' devices over data concerns

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.in

TikTok app

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Thousands of federal immigration employees brace for furloughs

Thousands of federal immigration employees brace for furloughs

Snippet 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.com

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),

Saturday, June 6, 2020

Labor Department inspector general retires after warning of fraud

Labor Department inspector general retires after warning of fraud

Snippet 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.com

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), US Department of Labor, Coronavirus, Pandemic, COVID-19,

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

TSA expected to soon offer early retirement to several workers

TSA expected to soon offer early retirement to several workers

Snippet 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.com

TSA, Early Retirement 2020,

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Microsoft slams Amazon’s latest protest over Pentagon cloud contract as ‘a way to avoid the consequences of its own bad business decisions’

Microsoft slams Amazon’s latest protest over Pentagon cloud contract as ‘a way to avoid the consequences of its own bad business decisions’

Snippet 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.com

What Feds Can Do if Called Back to an Unsafe Workplace

What Feds Can Do if Called Back to an Unsafe Workplace

Snippet 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.com

telework, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Unsafe Workplace, Coronavirus, COVID-19,

Lexington federal prison with more than 90 COVID-19 cases agrees to test employees

Lexington federal prison with more than 90 COVID-19 cases agrees to test employees

Snippet 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.com

Testing vs Non-Testing for COVID-19, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Lexington federal prison,

U.S. Watchdog Agency Says Coronavirus Whistleblower Should Be Reinstated

U.S. Watchdog Agency Says Coronavirus Whistleblower Should Be Reinstated

Snippet 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.com

protected disclosures, 'in the best interest of the American public', Rick Bright, Whistleblower Protections,

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Congress and the Supreme Court need a federal records act

Congress and the Supreme Court need a federal records act

Snippet 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.com

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Postal Service revises Criteria for Return to Work for Employees with Confirmed case of COVID-19

Postal Service revises Criteria for Return to Work for Employees with Confirmed case of COVID-19

Snippet 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 NPMHU

Postal Service revises Criteria for Return to Work for Employees with Confirmed case of COVID-19,

Saturday, April 25, 2020

White House details how agencies should call back federal employees, resume ‘normal’ operations

White House details how agencies should call back federal employees, resume ‘normal’ operations

Snippet 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.com

M-20-23MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Another Alabama Postal Worker Positive for Coronavirus After Recent Death in Montgomery

Second Montgomery postal worker tests positive for coronavirus

Snippet 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.com

Coronavirus, Clerk (Retail), COVID-19, Postal Service, Most dangerous jobs,

Postal Service 'Mail Handler' death attributed to complications from the coronavirus

Postal Service 'Mail Handler' death attributed to complications from the coronavirus

Snippet 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 Union

Mail Handler deaths (Coronavirus), Coronavirus, Most dangerous jobs, COVID-19, P&DC Mail Handler, Querubin “Sonny” Quitlong, Seattle P&DC,

Alabama postal worker dies after COVID-19 illness

Montgomery postal worker dies after COVID-19 illness

Snippet 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.com

Montgomery Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC), Coronavirus, Mail Handler deaths (Coronavirus), COVID-19, Death,