What were the primary concerns of federal employees in 2003?
This isn’t a poll. But, by looking at the most popular articles written for FedSmith.com this past year, readers can get a good feel for the issues that interest you or your colleagues the most.
Here are the ten articles that received the most “hits” on the FedSmith.com site in 2003. The most popular article is listed first and the others are in descending order.
Obviously, pay and retirement issues are the most popular issues if these articles are any indication.
Here are a couple of caveats. The FedSmith.com site has grown rapidly. In January 2003, the site had about 145,000 hits. In December, we had 1.6 million hits. As a result, the popularity of the articles is skewed. The articles we published in the last several months of the year had more readers just because the activity on the site grew so much during the year.
Second, when you look at the articles, you may wonder why some of the articles have readers’ comments at the end and others do not. We added the comments feature late in the year. Articles that were on our site before November do not have any comments. You are free to add your comments now though to these or any of the other articles on our site if you wish to do so.
Finally, thanks to all of our readers. The growth of the site has exceeded our expectations. We receive e-mail from readers every day of the year (even Christmas!) and we do read all of your notes to us. Some of our best ideas have come from our readers and we appreciate it when someone takes the time to communicate with us.
Here is the “top ten” list for 2003. There is a link at the end of each article that will take you directly to that article.
- Feds Get Day After Christmas OffPresident Bush has issued an order giving most federal employees a day off on December 26December 9, 2003
- Will December 26 be another holiday? Here are a few commentsWill the Friday after Christmas be a holiday this year? In some offices, hope springs eternal.December 3, 2003
- 2% Pay Raise Approved by PresidentPresident Bush approves 2% pay raise for Federal employeesDecember 31, 2003
- Federal Pay Raise vs. Private Sector: Who Comes Out Ahead in 2004?Some employees are unhappy with the 2004 pay raise as the federal government is moving toward some pay for performance features in its pay structure. How does the 2004 raise compare to the private sector?November 25, 2003
- Executive Order Closing Executive Branch Departments and Agencies on December 26, 2003President Bush has closed agencies of the Federal Government on December 26, 2003December 9, 2003
- Will Feds Get a Pay Raise in 2004? Readers Voice Their OpinionsMost readers expect a raise of about 4% this year.August 4, 2003
- Congress, the Internet, and those “very, very small” TaxesThe Senate may not extend the prohibition on Internet taxes. The impact of this will be significant and potentially destroy the positive impact of this new technology as companies and individuals discover how to use itOctober 30, 2003
- Will your pay raise take effect in January? Maybe notControversial provisions in the huge spending bill may delay agency budgets and the federal pay raiseNovember 26, 2003
- Will Boomers Bust in Retirement?Baby boomers may be facing a difficult scenario in retirement.July 15, 2003
- Retiring in Style: A Nightmare Scenario for One Former FedPrepare for your retirement with advance financial planning. This article outlines one former Fed who made a big mistake.March 11, 2003
