OPM changes death benefit calculations for spouses
A final rule by the Office of Personnel Management changes the calculation for annuities for surviving spouses of deceased federal employees.
Part-timers eligible for Sunday premium pay
Part-time federal employees are now eligible for an additional 25 percent above their basic pay rate for work done on Sundays, according to an OPM final rule published today.
Rule clarifies agency role in personnel file management
Agencies are responsible for the costs of paying for the creation and maintenance of employees' personnel records, according to a final rule from the Office of Personnel Management published in the Federal Register today.
Diversity Linked To Promotions/Buyouts
How do you improve diversity in government when personnel budgets are being cut and the largest, and most diverse agency plans to slash its workforce, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wonders. The answer: Creative accounting and buyouts.
Monday morning federal headlines - August 22
On today's Federal Drive: a new framework for the Senior Executive Service, the Pentagon's inspector general investigates the department's personnel chief over allegations of mismanagement and abuse of power, and a proposed OPM rule would allow federal employees to run for local office.
Measuring up: New SES framework will help evaluate managers
A new governmentwide framework for evaluating the top career employees in the Senior Executive Service will be rolled out at the end of September. Steve Shih, a deputy associate director in the Office of Personnel Management, said it will bring uniformity and predictability to a process that now seems uneven.
How Pathways can boost federal intern-to-hire rate
Tim McManus, vice president for Education and Outreach at the Partnership for Public Service, explains how the new Pathways Programs may try to boost that 7 percent job rate for federal interns.
NIST's cyber education plan open for comments
Ernest McDuffie, who oversees NIST's National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education program, joined the Federal Drive to discuss the initiative and the next steps for the program.
White House orders increase in diversity hiring
President Barack Obama issued an executive order giving leaders 90 days to come up with a governmentwide plan to increase diversity in hiring and retention. Agencies will have four more months to craft their own strategies for making progress.
Wednesday morning federal headlines - August 17
On today's Federal Drive: VA's new social media policy, the Army restarts its cloud email migration and more buyouts at federal agencies.
OPM takes on gender gap in federal pay
The gap in pay between genders is smaller in the federal government than in the private sector, but the Office of Personnel Management and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have reaffirmed their vow to reduce the remaining discrepancy in pay between men and women.
OPM lays out plan for training Latina leaders
A new division in the Office of Personnel Management is leading a governmentwide initiative to recruit and train Latinos, who make up 8 percent of the federal civilian workforce overall. The plan includes working with nonprofit organizations to increase outreach, encouraging Latinos to apply for internships and new ideas for holding agencies accountable.
OPM approves GAO buyouts
GAO will offer lump sum payments worth up to $25,000, as part of its workforce reduction plan. The agency is acting in anticipation of a smaller fiscal 2012 budget.
OPM: How to ease benefits process of deceased feds' children?
The notice encourages comments that uses electronic responses or other methods that "minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond."
Telework and locality pay - what are you entitled to?
Locality pay in the federal government is based on an employee's "official duty station." But how does a teleworker determine what that is?
GAO investigates rising insurance premiums
Higher bills for long term care insurance are coming at just the wrong time. Advice to manage it all from Tammy Flanagan, Senior Benefits Director at National Institute of Transition Planning.
Federal Executive Boards unite Washington and the field
The 28 Federal Executive Boards across the country play an integral role in bringing agencies together and ensuring communication to and from Washington. The organizations coordinate agencies' efforts and provide input during policy development. FEBs play a key role during emergencies by acting as the conduit of information.
OPM proposes more flexibility for CHCOs
The Office of Personnel Management is considering relaxing the Human Capital Assessment and Accountability Framework (HCAAF). The change would give agencies more flexibility to hire and manage their workforce.
Making the transition to Washington
Diane Cochran has worked in the Departments of the Navy, Air Force, Energy, and the Office of Personnel Management, at a variety of locations in the continental United States and abroad. She shares what it's like to make the transition to working and living in D.C.
OPM outlines students' fast track to government jobs
The Office of Personnel Management's proposed regulations would make it easier for agencies to recruit and train students and recent graduates without going through the competitive hiring process.




