Mike Causey's Federal Report is the best way to stay up to date on the latest issues affecting federal pay, benefits, and retirement. Plus, Mike's funny. New Federal Report columns can be found each weekday morning right here on FederalNewsRadio.com. Bookmark Mike's homepage or have his columns delivered directly to your email.

Pay freeze/pay cut/tax hike - then it gets worse!

Looking for something to take your mind off the pending pay freeze extension? If so, consider the prospect of higher taxes, lower take-home pay and higher health insurance premiums, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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You've got your WIG to keep you warm

Despite the prospect of an extended pay freeze, many nonpostal workers have their "wigs" to keep them warm, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. So, how do you get a 3 percent raise while salaries are frozen at 2010 levels?

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The day after 9/11

Even after the most horrible event, life goes on. We talked to a number of current and former feds who were here, in D.C., when the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers were hit. All had one common theme, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says: They will never forget what they were doing that day...

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Tuesday, 9-11-01. Where were you?

Sept. 11, 2001 was also a Tuesday. So what were you doing and where were you when you got the news? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey asks: Did it change your life forever?

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Young, healthy, idealistic and unemployed

Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know: Has the long-feared retirement tsunami hit the federal government? And if so, could the so- called brain drain be a career life-saver for tens of thousands of unemployed or under employed millennials?

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Last hired, first fired: Where are you in line?

If Uncle Sam really drives off the sequestration cliff in January, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know: Do you have a job parachute?

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Health premium surprise

With pay frozen and pensions threatened, federal workers and retirees have been waiting for the next shoe to drop — the what's-next moment. But it could be good news for a change, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says, like changes to your health insurance package.

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The incredible imploding agency

If you move a few letters around the initials of the General Services Administration, you get G- A-S, as in explosive, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Just when you thought GSA couldn't get in any deeper there's another explosion.

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This is reality?

We're back! For the month of August, Washington, D.C., was a really nice place to live and visit, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Streets were quiet, restaurants empty, traffic was tolerable and some of our town's loudest, most aggressive people (Congress, lawyers, journalists and think tankers) were away ... But we are all back with a vengeance.

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Lifeguard duty for some feds

Even though it's a federal holiday, the one when working folks are supposed to rest, Uncle Sam has millions of lifeguards - civilian and military - on duty today. For obvious reasons. And even if you can't see them, they are there, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Bad news, good news and mangoes

When somebody tells a fed they've got good news and bad news and which do they want first, there is no right answer. So what is it now. And what does it mean when the boss says to report to her office with a burlap sack and two mangoes?

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Life aboard the federal gravy train

What's it like to ride the federal gravy train? Politicians, pundits and others tell us all the time, and it sounds great. So Senior Correspondent Mike Causey decided to upset the apple cart and ask some long-time easy riders what it's really like. They did.

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Is retirement in your near future?

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Is it a dedicated IRS auditor, a serious federal agent or a compassionate VA employee? Or, do you have a Charles Dickens moment and spot the ghost of Christmas Future - you after you have retired? While feds have mostly held on to their jobs, things could change quickly, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Navel gazing, government style

Navel gazing is as old as the republic, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. You can do it two ways: You can gaze at somebody else's or, in moments of reflection, at your own. Sort of like the wisdom of the crowd without the crowd. Today's column features some introspective visions of government operations from people on the inside.

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Taxes! Who needs them?

Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to pay taxes ... or paid only for things we like and want? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey consulted a longtime legal eagle at the Treasury Department and she had some interesting points.

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Nervous about November? Boss-watching could be key

Want to know who's going to win the November election? Forget about the Beltway-bound pundits, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Check with career civil servants who have been watching their political masters for signs of fear or euphoria...

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Is there life after government?

We've been to the surface of the moon, and the bottom of the ocean but as yet, no one has answered the eternal question: Is there life after retirement? Today we have some clues, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

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Have federal leaders forgotten why they joined the ranks?

What makes a great federal leader? One of our readers says the formula is simple - behave in a manner that would make her daughter (or your kids) want to be like you!

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Vets, who needs them?

Uncle Sam employs a larger percentage of veterans than any big company in the nation...we know it's policy and it's the right thing to do. But is it a good idea? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey reports that a been-there-done-that type says "Roger that..."

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Smokers are people too, aren't they?

No ifs, ands or butts. Smoking is an issue at many federal agencies. A lot of nonsmokers resent giving people time off for what they consider is an unhealthy, smelly habit. But smokers say what they are doing is no worse than people who overeat or use their government computers for some naughty purposes. Where there's smoke there's fire.

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