Sunday, December 17, 2017

2019 Pay Raise ...or Pay Freeze

Article Title: Sen. McCaskill: White House to freeze pay for civilian employees in 2019
Snippet of Article: "...according to the document given to minority committee members, OMB denied DHS’ request to provide additional pay and added that the administration planned to issue a governmentwide pay freeze for civilian employees in 2019..."


Source: federalnewsradio.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, 2019 Pay Raise, [/tag]

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Federal Officials Probe National Lab After Worker Incident

Article Title: Federal Officials Probe National Lab After Worker Incident
Snippet of Article: "...Federal officials are investigating the Los Alamos National Laboratory after an employee was involved in an incident described as a "near-miss to a fatality." A worker entered a lab room that had..."


Source: www.usnews.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Pay attention to changes to next year’s federal payroll calendars; they’re all different

Article Title: Pay attention to changes to next year’s payroll calendars; they’re all different
Snippet of Article: "...A few federal shared services payroll centers are making some small but significant changes to their pay schedules in 2018. Each payroll center has a slightly different calendar for the coming year, and changes from any of the four major federal processing centers can impact employees’ Thrift Savings Plan contributions, annual leave banks and other benefits..."


Source: federalnewsradio.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, payroll calendars, [/tag]

Monday, December 4, 2017

Trump’s Budget Takes a Big Bite Out of Federal Retirement Benefits

Article Title: Trump’s Budget Takes a Big Bite Out of Federal Retirement Benefits
Snippet of Article: "...As part of his austerity drive, President Trump is seeking to eliminate cost-of-living adjustments for retirees in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), the premier government retirement program. He would also cut the cost-of-living adjustment rate by 0.5 percent for those covered by the parallel Civil Service Retirement System..."


Source: yahoo.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

The perks of being a member of Congress

Article Title: The perks of being a member of Congress
Snippet of Article: "...Members of Congress are granted policies, benefits, and perks that grant them privileges denied in most other workplaces. In yesterday's lead item in Axios AM, Mike Allen touched on John Boehner's in-office smoking as an example — allowed, according to the N.Y. Times, thanks to Congress' supremacy over District of Columbia law..."


Source: www.axios.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Taking CSRS Benefits to the Limit

Article Title: Taking CSRS Benefits to the Limit
Snippet of Article: "...If you are one of those already at the 80 percent limit, retirement deductions are still being taken out of your salary. If you haven’t reached the limit, they will be when you do. Your excess contributions will be refunded to you when you retire. And you’ll be offered a ..."


Source: www.fedweek.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, CSRS, [/tag]

Monday, November 13, 2017

Three of the richest people in America now own more wealth than bottom 160 million people in our country

Article Title: Bernie Sanders: We must end global oligarchy
Snippet of Article: "...Here in the United States, the top one-tenth of 1% owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. Incredibly, according to a recent report from the Institute for Policy Studies, three of the richest people in America -- Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett -- now own more wealth than bottom 160 million people in our country..."


Source: www.cnn.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

The 'Reverse Robin Hood' Tax Plan: Steal From the Poor to Make the Rich Wealthier

Article Title: What Does the Tax Bill Do for Low-Income Workers?
Snippet of Article: "... it’s not fair that so many Americans, especially richer Americans, will benefit from the huge tax cuts while so many low-wage workers will be left out in the cold—and receive nothing from this budget-busting cornucopia..."


Source: prospect.org

[tag] Federal Employee News, Tax Plan, destruction of the working class, [/tag]

Friday, November 3, 2017

Maryland postal worker wins $10 million jackpot

Article Title: Maryland postal worker wins $10 million jackpot
Snippet of Article: "...Simmons opted for the one-time cash option of $6.5 million before taxes. He could have chosen to receive the full $10 million over 30 years, according..."


Source: postalbriefing.blogspot.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Monday, October 16, 2017

2018 Social Security COLA is 2%

Article Title: 2018 Social Security COLA is 2%
Snippet of Article: "...Based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2016 through the third quarter of 2017, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefici aries will receive a 2.0 percent COLA for 2018. Other important 2018 Social Security information..."


Source: www.ssa.gov

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Friday, October 6, 2017

White House believes chief of staff's personal phone was hacked: report

Article Title: White House believes chief of staff's personal phone was hacked: report
Snippet of Article: "...A White House official told Politico that Kelly uses his government-issued phone for any official communication and has not used his personal phone since joining the Trump administration..."


Source: www.foxnews.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Friday, September 29, 2017

Gov’t to start testing federal employees for common opioids

Article Title: Gov’t to start testing federal employees for common opioids
Snippet of Article: "...The federal government said Friday it will start drug-testing employees for OxyContin and other commonly abused painkillers as part of President Trump’s effort to get a handle on the opioids crisis. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said the new guidelines will check for the semi-synthetic opioids to ensure that workers are clean and sober on the job..."


Source: www.washingtontimes.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, drug-testing, [/tag]

The U.S. Is Warning Americans Not to Travel to Cuba. Here’s What to Know

Article Title: The U.S. Is Warning Americans Not to Travel to Cuba. Here’s What to Know
Snippet of Article: "...The United States has issued a travel warning against Cuba, advising Americans not to visit and removing some personnel from the island in the wake of what are believed to be sonic attacks on diplomats..."


Source: time.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Thursday, September 21, 2017

SEC says hack may have led to illegal Wall Street profits

Article Title: SEC says hack may have led to illegal Wall Street profits
Snippet of Article: "...The country’s top Wall Street regulator says a cyberattack last year breached its system for storing documents filed by companies, possibly allowing hackers to make illegal profits. The Securities and Exchange Commission admitted the breach in a statement posted Wednesday on its website. Chairman Jay Clayton said a review of the agency’s cybersecurity revealed “a software vulnerability” in its EDGAR (electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval) ..."


Source: www.foxnews.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, SEC, [/tag]

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

U.S. bans use of Kaspersky software in federal agencies amid concerns of Russian espionage

Article Title: U.S. bans use of Kaspersky software in federal agencies amid concerns of Russian espionage
Snippet of Article: "... ordered that Kaspersky Lab software be barred from federal government networks, giving agencies a timeline to get rid of it, according to several officials familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak publicly about it. Duke ordered the scrub on the grounds that the company has connections to the Russian government and its software poses a security risk..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Kaspersky Lab software, [/tag]

Middle Class Income Earners Want the same Tax Rate Cut Republicans Want For Corporations and the wealthy

Screwing the lower middle class again. The rich and corporations get richer while you get raped

Article Title: President Trump Wants to Cut Corporate Tax Rate to 15 Percent
Snippet of Article: "...Trump, who made overhauling taxes a pillar of his push for economic growth, has called for a 15 percent tax rate for corporations. The rate now ranges from 15 percent to 35 percent. The average tax rate paid by corporations is around 19 percent to 25 percent, according to the Treasury Department and congressional analysts..."


Source: www.inc.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Tax Reform, [/tag]

Friday, September 8, 2017

Pipe Bomb Explodes at Indiana Post Office: FBI Considers Terror Possibility

Article Title: FBI Considers Terror Possibility After Pipe Bomb Explodes at Indiana Post Office
Snippet of Article: "...A postal worker was injured when a pipe bomb exploded at a post office in northwestern Indiana, and the FBI said Thursday it is investigating whether it was an act of terrorism. The investigation into the explosion Wednesday around 6 p.m. at the facility in East Chicago..."


Source: time.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Trump Picks Oklahoma Congressman To Head NASA

Article Title: Trump Picks Oklahoma Congressman To Head NASA
Snippet of Article: "...President Trump's pick for the next leader of NASA is a fighter pilot who wants Americans to return to the moon but doesn't believe that humans are causing climate change. Rep. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma has to be confirmed by the Senate before taking charge of NASA..."


Source: www.npr.org

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, NASA, [/tag]

Friday, September 1, 2017

16 Postal Workers Charged After Accepting Bribes to Deliver Drugs, Officials Say

Article Title: 16 Postal Workers Charged After Accepting Bribes to Deliver Drugs, Officials Say
Snippet of Article: "...Sixteen postal workers in Atlanta and the surrounding area accepted bribes to deliver packages of cocaine, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. In exchange for bribery payments, the postal workers provided special addresses on their routes..."


Source: time.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Postal Crime, [/tag]

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Q and A for federal workers: Open season choices

Article Title: Q and A for federal workers: Open season choices
Snippet of Article: "...From Nov. 13 to Dec. 11, federal employees can enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for 2018, and those already enrolled can change plans, change coverage options (between self-only and self-and-family, for example) or change levels of coverage within plans that have more than one level. Retirees generally cannot join but can make the other types of changes if they have remained enrolled continuously..."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Hey Uncle Sam, offering buyouts will save money; This applies to the Postal Service as well

Article Title: Letter to the editor: Hey Uncle Sam, offering buyouts will save money
Snippet of Article: "...trying to understand why Congress cannot DO THE MATH. You have 77,000 federal workers ready to retire. They are waiting for the next buyout to be offered, whether it be $40,000 or $25,000! If you offer this, you’d reduce your budget, even I know sometimes in life you have to bite the bullet and spend money to make money! Meaning you offer the buyout to the federal workers who are at the top of their salary scale, and the person you hire in their place you pay less money, thus saving money on each person that is replaced..."


Source: federalnewsradio.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Federal Employee Pay Raise Process Moving Ahead

Article Title: Federal Employee Pay Raise Process Moving Ahead
Snippet of Article: "...As of now, the presumed federal employee raise that would take place in 2018 is 1.9%. The deadline for the White House to propose a different rate increase is August 31. This letter will typically be issued just a few days before August 31st..."


Source: www.fedsmith.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, 2018 Federal Employee Pay Raise, [/tag]

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

How tax reform could sting your retirement income

Article Title: How tax reform could sting your retirement income
Snippet of Article: "...among the tax reform proposals currently being discussed is one that would convert part or all of workers' tax-deferred 401(k) contributions to Roth 401(k) contributions, which are made after taxes have been removed. That could significantly increase the federal income taxes that middle-income workers would pay throughout their lives. And it could reduce the amount of money they could spend throughout their lives after paying taxes. A typical older middle-income worker could lose $500 per year..."


Source: www.cbsnews.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Federal Retirement, [/tag]

Friday, August 11, 2017

Ridiculous! Treaty on Open Skies: Russia flies military observation plane over Capitol, Pentagon, CIA

Article Title: Russia flies military observation plane over Capitol, Pentagon, CIA
Snippet of Article: "...Russia flew a military observation plane over Washington D.C. on Wednesday -- over the Capitol, the Pentagon and CIA Headquarters -- in a flight permitted under U.S. compliance with the >Open Skies Treaty, U.S. officials have confirmed to CBS News' David Martin..."


Source: www.cbsnews.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]



Our Note: How ridiculous is the Treaty on Open Skies? The U.S. does not need an insane treaty like this when we already have the most sophisticated monitoring in the world, such as satellite monitoring, etc. Did we not learn anything from 9-11?

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

FBI Seized Smashed Hard Drives From Wasserman Schultz IT Aide’s Home

Article Title: FBI Seized Smashed Hard Drives From Wasserman Schultz IT Aide’s Home
Snippet of Article: "...FBI agents seized smashed computer hard drives from the home of Florida Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s information technology administrator, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. Pakistani-born Imran Awan, longtime right-hand IT aide to the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, has since desperately tried to get the hard drives back..."


Source: dailysignal.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, FBI, [/tag]

Monday, July 17, 2017

Legislation Would Make Retired Federal Employee Pensions Public Information

Article Title: Legislation Would Make Retired Federal Employee Pensions Public Information
Snippet of Article: "...The salaries of current federal employees are considered to be public information and have been since the early 1800s. The latest federal and Postal employee salaries can be searched at FedsDataCenter.com..."


Source: www.fedsmith.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Federal and Postal Employee Salary Search, [/tag]

Friday, July 14, 2017

White House Wants to Increase Federal Employee Buyout Payments

Article Title: White House Wants to Increase Federal Employee Buyout Payments
Snippet of Article: "...VSIP’s $25,000 cap has been in place since it was first enacted in 1993. The Defense pilot program came in part because of the Pentagon’s effort to reduce its headquarters staff by 25 percent by 2020..."


Source: www.govexec.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, VSIP, [/tag]

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Annual COLA Inching Toward 2% for January 2018

Article Title: Annual COLA Inching Toward 2% for January 2018
Snippet of Article: "...based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) data through April of 2017, the Senior Citizens League (TSCL) estimates that the Social Security COLA for 2018 will be about 2.1% as reported in Investment News. Keep in mind that the actual figure will vary depending on what the inflation data reflect prior to October 2017..."


Source: www.fedsmith.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Labor Department Begins Monitoring Federal Employees’ Opioid Use

Article Title: Labor Department Begins Monitoring Federal Employees’ Opioid Use
Snippet of Article: "...The Department of Labor announced today that it has begun procedures aimed at monitoring and managing federal employees’ prescription usage of opioids under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act..."


Source: www.fedsmith.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis [/tag]

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Warning From OPM: Companies Offering To Buy Your Annuity, Be careful!

Article Title: Companies Offering To Buy Your Annuity, Be careful!
Snippet of Article: "...OPM has recently learned of an aggressive marketing push targeting Federal annuitants. Companies are offering a cash payment in exchange for a portion, or all, of your future annuity payments generally much less than their long-term worth, and typically charging high interest rates and fees..."


Source: www.opm.gov

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, OPM Warning, [/tag]