Stay updated with breaking news and major events affecting federal employees, including government shutdowns, office closures, emergency announcements, legislative developments, and nationwide issues impacting federal agencies and the federal workforce.
The Dept. of Veterans Affairs has a new policy that bans employees and volunteers from being involved in a flag folding ceremony with religious overtones. The new policy has overturned a long-standing tradition, infuriated veterans, and reduced the role of religion in burial ceremonies at national cemeteries. The new policy memo is not available and was “not meant for public distribution.”
Federal law addresses the removal of a career civil service employee for treason and for unacceptable performance in detail. Discipline for other reasons isn’t so clearly spelled out. This article shows a path through the maze of Federal rules governing discipline for managers who do not do this every day.
Does an order of the Merit Systems Protection Board supersede a collective bargaining agreement? A Postal Service employee, who had been demoted and suspended, contended the agency had an obligation to put him into a position that would have violated a union agreement. The Board and a federal court ruled the agency was not required to violate the union agreement.
An email that went from a Navy employee to the human resources office alleged incidents of abuse by the employee’s supervisors. The email violated the written instructions the employee had previously received to follow the chain of command. The employee was fired and loses on appeal.
Who do readers favor to be the Democratic nominee for President next year? A few months can make a big difference as voters learn more about the candidates and hear their positions. This year is no exception and the latest survey shows a dramatic difference.
Will federal employees get a raise of 3% or 3.5% in 2008 (or some other figure)? No one knows but one of these two is likely. Here is how to quickly calculate what the raise will mean to the actual dollars in your paycheck for next year.
Federal retirees receive a cost of living allowance each year or a COLA. Federal employees still working for Uncle Sam get a raise. The difference may not sound significant but federal employees will probably get a bigger increase in their checks next year than federal retirees. Here are the retiree figures for 2008.
TSP participants are learning and changing their investing habits. In part, that may be because of market volatility and, in part, because the lifecycle fund option has been successful for many TSP participants.
A trainee with the Social Security Administration had a permanent job lined up after she graduated from college. When she did not graduate on time, the permanent job went up in smoke. She resigned and then appealed contending the agency coerced her resignation.
A former federal employee who was fired by the Air Force and went through an appeal with the MSPB applied for a job with the IRS and started work there. OPM discovered his removal and told the IRS to remove him. The errant former fed contended he did not realize he had been fired from the Air Force job.
