Personnel Cases and the Federal Courts
Why doesn’t Congress fix the tangled web of federal personnel cases clogging up the courts? Appeals channels are notoriously complex and cases take far too long.
Month: April 2010
Six Years of Appeals…and Counting
Most agencies have experienced some personnel removal cases that have dragged on seemingly forever in the appeals process. Thanks to a new decision by the Federal Circuit, the Interior Department will be dealing with one such case for many more months or perhaps years.
What are “Deemed” Salaries, in the FERS Annuity Supplement?
In calculating a FERS annuity supplement, you will find some years in which a retiree was not in pay status for the entire year. When this happens, the retiree’s salary for the entire year must, by law, be “deemed,” or legally fabricated. How is this done? Here is an explanation.
New FLRA Policy Announced: Everything’s Negotiable!
In what must have been a big surprise to the Department of Defense, the Federal Labor Relations Authority finds civilian access to commissaries and exchanges to be a negotiable working condition. The Author suggests a political payback may be involved in the decision. You be the judge.
Decades and the Douglas Factors
For three decades, federal HR has been working with the 12 “factors” from an MSPB decision. However, much has changed since then.
How to Make Yourself Funnier
People with no ability to see humor in a situation, or craft and deliver a joke, cannot make themselves funny. Now the good news: We can all make ourselves funnier. More good news: It’s not that difficult.
The Federal Employees’ Cookbook
New people bring new ideas. OPM’s John Berry has been creative by urging time off for some in DC to get an extra hour to walk to the cherry blossoms and, later this week, hosting an event to come up with new recipes from federal employees to go into a federal government cookbook.
Coming Soon! The New Thrift Savings Plan Website
For the last several months the TSP has been running a beta test of its new website. Many of you who have accessed your TSP accounts have been given an opportunity to test the site and to make comments. The TSP claims the new site is “Better. Faster. Easier.” and that it is “improved” and “user friendly”.
Annual Leave and Your Thrift Savings Plan
There is potential good news on the horizon for federal employees who plan to retire with a large annual leave balance. The news relates to the ability to contribute their annual leave balance to the Thrift Savings Plan.
Changing the Federal Hiring Process
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not been silent about its desire to change the federal hiring process which, it says, is too complex, takes too long and doesn’t get the job done in helping increase the size of Uncle Sam’s civilian army. Here is a significant change now being implemented.
