Month: April 2008

The Politics (and Money) of Federal Union “Official Time”

By Categories Human Resources Leave a comment

In another dispute involving the union’s use of official time, FLRA backed off a stance taken in previous decision, reminding all of us again how important union institutional issues are to Federal unions and their friends among the “neutrals”. The author suggests that employee working conditions’ improvements take a back seat to union institutional issues again and that FLRA’s reversal is part of the politics of labor relations and clearly not part of the the law.

$16 Million Is Not a Low Number

FedSmith.com author Ralph R. SmithBy Categories Federal Employee Pay News Leave a comment

Comments sent in by readers on proposed changes to interfund transfers within the TSP were unusually harsh. Similar comments may have been sent in directly to the TSP board as well. A new Federal Register notice finalizes a final rule limiting TSP trading activity. The official notice is blunt in addressing the comments opposing the changes. Here is the outcome but watch for future changes as well.

Using Taxpayer Records for Personal Reasons Leads to Removal

FedSmith.com author Susan McGuire SmithBy Categories Court Cases Leave a comment

An agency has a core mission. An employee’s action in one agency may be a relatively minor problem; in another agency it may be a firing offense. The Internal Revenue Service has strict rules about accessing taxpayer records–presumably because taxpayer records are related to its core mission. When this IRS employee accessed these records for personal reasons, she was fired despite her contention a medical condition was the basis for the problem.

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