Management

Senate Appropriators Join House in Blocking OPM-GSA Merger

Senators go with Trump's latest proposal for a 2.6% civilian pay raise for 2020 but no locality increase, while the House has approved an average 3.1% raise.

Pay & Benefits

Agencies Paid Federal Employees $3.7 Billion Not to Work During Recent Shutdowns

One department lost 90 employees during the most recent lapse, while another slashed hiring by nearly 40%.

Pay & Benefits

TSP: Thousands Already Making Use of New Withdrawal System

The board that governs the 401(k)-style retirement savings program authorized a 6.9% budget increase for the agency Monday.

Pay & Benefits

Interior to Offer Large Relocation Incentive to Employees Who Move Out West

The offer exceeds one recently provided by the Agriculture Department for a move to Kansas City.

Pay & Benefits

Best Dates to Retire 2020

Your annual guide to choosing an optimal day to start the next phase of your life.

Pay & Benefits

Defense Employee Health Support Programs Restored After Weeklong Outage

Department officials said a "previously unidentified contracting issue" led to a temporary suspension of programs designed to help employees cope with substance abuse and other mental health problems.

Pay & Benefits

Trump Administration Seeks to Quash Lawsuit Over OPM Hack

Government says feds are not entitled to damages as hackers intended to use the personal information they gathered for spying, not identity theft or fraud. 

Pay & Benefits

Most TSP Funds Take a Tumble in August

Only two of the Thrift Savings Plan’s portfolios ended last month in the black.

Pay & Benefits

Trump Endorses 2.6% Across the Board Pay Raise for Federal Workers

In a surprise move Friday, the president abandoned his quest for a pay freeze in 2020, although there will be no locality pay adjustment under his plan.

Oversight

Patent and Trademark Office Examiners Receive Monetary Awards With Insufficient Oversight

Some staff are allowed to make manual changes to their hours worked, while part-time patent examiners’ schedules are often not up to date in the awards calculation system.

Pay & Benefits

USDA Slashes Buyout Payments for Scientific Agency Employees By 60% Ahead of Relocation

Employees of research agencies have less than a week to decide whether to accept $10,000 voluntary separation payments, despite being offered upwards of $25,000 in June.

Pay & Benefits

What Needs to Happen for Civilians to Get a 2020 Pay Raise

Trump is likely to announce by the end of August his intent to institute a pay freeze, and Congress would need to override him.