OPM News 
Top News
- Congress pressures agencies to consolidate office space
- Katherine Archuleta chosen as next OPM director
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health system
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
Calendar tracks 2012 federal retiree annuity payments
OPM has released its calendar for 2012 annuity payments.
Shutdown FAQ
Frequently asked questions about a potential government shutdown as Congress nears its Dec. 16 deadline to reach a budget deal.
Challenges facing federal workers
Host Mike Causey is joined by Jessica Klement of the Federal Managers Association, and Federal Times reporters Stephen Losey and Sean Reilly.
December 14, 2011
OPM takes 'lessons-learned' approach on new snow policy
Dean Hunter, the deputy director of facilities, security and contracting at OPM, said the new emergency dismissal policy has earned plaudits from state and local emergency officials. The new policy, which was spurred by last winter's unexpected snowstorm includes a range of new dismissal options.
Veteran hires at highest level in 20 years
Nearly three in every 10 new hires in the government is a veteran, marking the highest percentage of new hires in more than 20 years. Just two out of the 24 agencies in the President's Council on Veterans Employment failed to meet their goals. The council released Tuesday preliminary fiscal 2011 employment data.
OPM gives agencies help when rehiring retired feds
Retirees can earn a paycheck from an agency on top of their pension benefits if they are fulfilling mission-critical functions and working for less than 20 hours a week. Those are two of the answers provided in an Office of Personnel Management factsheet to agencies interested in putting federal retirees on their payrolls.
Are feds prepared for retirement tsunami?
A sharp increase in federal retirements may be the precursor to the long-anticipated tidal wave of workers leaving public service. How prepared is your agency for the potential "brain drain" of experience?
GAO: Federal life-insurance program needs better disclosure, review process
A recent Government Accountability Office report suggests OPM needs to do a better job of explaining the program's benefits and conduct more structured reviews of the program and its premium rates.
Tips for agencies when hiring veterans with disabilities
Agencies are increasing the number of disabled veterans in their ranks as they try to fulfill White House hiring mandates. But there's still a lot of unease about how disabled vets will fit into civilian environments. "The civilian workplace is a really bizarre place" for veterans, said workforce and diversity consultant Lisa Stern at a recent training she gave federal hiring officials in Bethesda.
Congress passes bill to honor fallen feds
Agencies can give an American flag to the survivors of a federal employee who is killed in the line of duty under a bill passed Thursday by the Senate. The House unanimously approved the measure last month.
Open Season crunch time: What to do NOW
Federal benefits specialist Ann Vanderslice has some quick tips in the last-minute days before the Open Season deadline.
DC-area officials cheer federal 'shelter-in-place' snow strategy
Capital region officials cheered the Office of Personnel Management's "shelter-in-place" option for snow emergencies. Having people stay at the office during sudden or extreme snowstorms would lessen gridlock, officials told lawmakers Wednesday. They also urged area workers to know their children's school emergency policies and have backup childcare arrangements in place.
Senate examines DC-area disaster preparedness
A Senate homeland security subcommittee is set to examine whether the Washington area is prepared for natural or man-made disasters.
Common mistakes during Open Season
Federal employees have until Dec. 12 to decide on a health plan during this year's Open Season. Benefits expert Walt Francis has advice for feds.
OPM highlights hiring reform best practices
Agencies are measuring their progress towards hiring reforms and implementing technology to track applications and identify bottlenecks. Those are some of the best practices shared in a memo from the Office of Personnel Management. Overall, it said, agencies are progressing toward the governmentwide goal of filling vacancies in 80 days or less.
SESers see bonuses drop in face of budget woes
Many agencies began freezing senior executives' pay and limiting performance awards a year before the White House ordered them to do so. That finding comes from a new report by the Office of Personnel Management that some say underscores the pressure to prove a pay-for-performance system can work when there isn't a lot of money.
Pilot program will prepare Asians for the SES
With Asian Americans making up just 3 percent of the Senior Executive Service, a pilot program seeks to groom more Asians for the government's top ranks. The program, run by the Asian American Government Executives Network, will give 20 Asian SES hopefuls mentoring, networking and placement assistance.
OPM releases draft qualification standards for HR workforce
The Office of Personnel Management has released draft qualification standards for human resources managers and assistants. The draft standards update the qualifications to include competencies and minimum requirements by grade, Acting Deputy Associate OPM Director Andrea Bright wrote in a memo.
Open Season creates opportunities for tax savings
Ed Zurndorfer, a registered employees benefits consultant, recommends that feds consider possible tax deductions when choosing a health insurance plan. But hurry, open season ends Dec. 12.
OPM rolls out changes to snow policy
Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry announced a new set of dismissal and closure notifications for federal employees. The meat of the changes allow for staggered early departure with a final departure time, immediate departure and shelter-in-place.
