Sworn out

Federal employees who were looking forward to getting a day off for the quadrennial Inauguration Day holiday should take a closer look at the calendar. This year, Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, falls on a Saturday. And it's not like other federal holidays: there is no "in lieu of" day off on the Friday before or the Monday after the big day. That means only federal employees in the Washington metro area who usually work on Saturdays will get Inauguration Day off. That includes workers in the following areas: the District of Columbia; Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland; Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia; and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.

Christmas and New Years day both fall on Mondays this year. Federal employees who normally don't work on Mondays are entitled to an "in lieu of" day. In most cases, that will mean getting either the day preceding the holidays (Friday, Dec. 22 and Friday Dec. 29), but agency heads have discretion to change that day.

To view OPM's memo on this subject, click here.

Pay Raise Update

On Nov. 30, President Clinton authorized a 3.7 average pay raise for 2001. Draft pay tables for 2001, including locality pay, are available online at www.govexec.com/pay, but the rates will not be official until the President issues an executive order implementing the pay raise for 2001. The pay raise is broken down as follows: 2.7 percent average across-the-board raise and 1 percent average locality pay increase. Open Season Winds Down

Remember, open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program ends Dec. 11. If you want to make changes to your health plan, do it now! For more information, see www.govexec.com/health.

Certain Floridians who participate in the Foundation Health Plan must find a new health care provider during open season. Foundation Health Plan is canceling its enrollment in 10 Florida counties, including Brevard, Hillsborough, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, St. Lucie and Seminole.