If you are contemplating retirement, surely you have a very clear idea of why you are doing so. Or do you? Based on my own experience and in talking to some of my friends and colleagues, I think there are a fair number of people who retire without having carefully thought through their reasons for doing so.
The 2008 election is already underway. Political passion is stirring in some citizens and the e-mail send button is sitting right in front of you. Think before explaining the rationale for your political passion in a personal message to your friends and colleagues by using that convenient government e-mail system. Here’s why.
A federal employee who had been arrested and convicted of assault for biting off a portion of her neighbor’s thumb found herself in a confrontation with her supervisor. The employee argued in court that her past work record should not be used in determining the penalty.
A fired federal employee who appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board about 19 months after the deadline has managed to persuade the federal appeals court to overturn the Board’s dismissal of her appeal as untimely and therefore has won the right to have her case heard on the merits. A court found that the agency’s notice of appeal rights was incorrect at one point in the 4-year history of the case.
It is early in the campaign but FedSmith readers have strong views about the candidates. The results will no doubt surprise some readers who may see federal employees as a solid voting bloc. At this stage, our readers are about as divided in their political views as the rest of the electorate.
Agency negotiators who lead management into an unending and apparently unendable morass are not likely to prosper. How do you open a negotiation between a union and an agency and how do you close it?
A Customs and Border Protection Officer who has been on the city council for a Texas town was told by the agency to resign his seat because of an apparent conflict of interest. The employee went to court and district court has issued a preliminary injunction in his favor.
Do you have a plan mapped out for your life after retirement? This retired federal employee did not have a plan but has survived the change with some ups and downs.
Applying for a vacancy in the federal government is considerably different than in a private company. If you are applying for jobs in the federal government and the private sector, a successful applicant must know the difference. A federal resume is a resume formatted to meet the needs of federal job openings. When applying for a federal job, more information is required. A “federal resume” is formatted to highlight this specialized information.
Should an applicant for a job in another organization tell the supervisor you are looking? Would you want another organization contacting your current supervisor for a reference? Here are some considerations for an employee with this dilemma.
