Seeing the VA Through a Patient’s Eyes
The Department of Veterans Affairs has gone through a great deal of bad publicity as a result of problems in management and patient care. Here is a brief description of a favorable experience with the agency.
Month: March 2015
What GAO Got Right in Its Report on the Federal Workforce
The author says that GAO has done a decent job of addressing some of the issues facing supervisors who must deal with employee problems in its recent report. He offers some suggestions for how OPM can carry out GAO’s recommendations.
The Federal Budget: When a Number is Just a (Meaningless) Number
Recent figures from the CBO suggest that Social Security contributed $877 billion to total revenue, but the author says that the CBO’s budget projections are misleading, especially as they relate to Social Security.
State Department Spokesman Warned of Private Email Risks in 2011
Mark C. Toner, then Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, made comments at a Daily Press Briefing on June 2, 2011 regarding the use of private email by government officials. The comments may have been largely insignificant at the time, but they provide an interesting perspective today in light of questions that have arisen about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account as Secretary of State.
CSRS, FERS and Considerations in Redepositing Money
I’m planning to retire at 62 and my human resources department has presented me with the option of depositing $9,645.00 (roughly 3K + 6K interest). If I don’t deposit for the period I was not under CSRS then I will receive $80.38 less per year in retirement (provided I retire now). Is this correct?
Bill Would Cut Pay for Top Earning Federal Employees
Legislation has been introduced that would cut the pay of federal workers earning over $100,000 per year and also tie their pay to performance of the overall economy.
Do Your Supervisors and Managers Know the Basics?
The author says that managers are not getting the necessary training or the backing of their senior management to take on the problem employee. He says it is this lack of training that causes supervisors not to address problem employees.
GAO Report Looks at Challenges of Disciplining Poor Performing Federal Employees
A new report from the Government Accountability Office says that it can take a great deal of time and effort for supervisors to remove federal workers for performance reasons and offers some suggestions for agencies to improve the disciplinary process.
Who Does Not Receive the Annual General Pay Increase?
A FedSmith reader recently asked some questions regarding the annual general increase in federal pay. The author answers these questions and also elaborates on which federal employees get annual pay increases and which do not.
Early Outs and Your FEHB Benefits
If federal employees are offered early outs or buy outs, does the 5-year FEHB coverage requirement also get waived?
