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
Federal job hunt made easier for outgoing military members
Service members expected to be discharged can apply for federal jobs without a certificate of release or discharge from active duty.
Agencies must receive OPM approval to convert politicals
OPM Director John Berry reminded agency leaders that they must seek approval from his agency before placing political appointees in some jobs. The guidelines also include a ban of certain incentive awards.
OPM survey to help agencies make tough budget decisions
OPM Director John Berry said the agency changed the annual survey to give agencies more insight into the morale and thoughts of their employees. Berry said agencies in their zeal to cut budgets shouldn't forget the importance of training.
OPM: Retirement claims tick up but still fewer than projected
Federal retirement claims rose last month but, for the second consecutive month, the Office of Personnel Management received fewer claims than it expected. OPM also made its monthly processing goals and continued to make progress cutting back a longstanding backlog of retirement claims.
Task force recommends crackdown on CFC management
Working group suggests CFC managers codify a ban on expenses for meals, beverages and entertainment. The recommendations follow an inspector general report that questioned more than $700,000 in spending, including a jazz band and chair massages.
More SESers say pay, benefits not attractive enough
Nearly all Senior Executive Service members said they feel pride in their work, but a growing number said SES pay and benefits are not enough to attract high-quality senior execs, according to a survey by the Office of Personnel Management.
Retirement and insurance
Joan Melanson from Long Term Care Partners and
retirement benefits specialist James Marshall will
talk about the retirement and insurance options
that feds should consider.
May 18, 2012
OPM finalizes rules for new intern, hiring programs
The Pathways Program aims to help federal agencies compete with other sectors that recruit and hire interns and recent graduates. The program targets current students, recent graduates and professionals interested in becoming federal managers.
April retirement claims lower than expected, OPM says
6,600 federal employees filed retirement claims in April — 1,400 less than what was projected for the month by the Office of Personnel Management.
Changes will 'burnish prestige' of Fellows program, OPM director says
OPM Director John Berry detailed changes coming to the Presidential Management Fellows Program in a recent letter to Congress, obtained by Federal News Radio. The program came under criticism earlier this year for mistakenly sending out 300 letters of acceptance to applicants who had not been chosen for the program.
OPM releases draft guide for competency-based job hiring
The Office of Personnel Management has released a draft version of a guide to using competency-based qualification standards, along with a new round of competency-based job requirements for certain clerical and administrative positions.
OPM convenes workgroup to address domestic violence in federal workplace
The Office of Personnel Management will convene an interagency workgroup in the coming weeks to establish governmentwide policies on domestic violence in the federal workplace. Rob Shriver, deputy general council for policy at OPM, has an update on the personnel agency's progress.
Panel: Hiring reform critical as brain drain looms
The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discussed the big issues in recruitment, hiring and retention with a panel of federal hiring experts.
Performance improvement has 'turned the corner' in government
Shelley Metzenbaum said agencies are doing a better job in setting outcome-based goals and using data to measure their progress. OPM is finalizing guidance and training to use the competence models for performance improvement positions. Treasury and DHS are setting their own path to using data to meet their mission goals.
Postal bill amendment seeks to cut backlog ahead of USPS retirement 'deluge'
An amendment to a Senate bill aiming to restructure the U.S. Postal Service's financial framework would institute new agency reporting requirements for retiring federal workers in anticipation of a "deluge of retirees" from USPS. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), introduced an amendment last week that requires the Office of Personnel Management to take new steps to chip away at the longstanding backlog of federal retirement claims.
Has the long-anticipated retirement tsunami finally started?
Recent data from the Office of Personnel Management suggests that the long-predicted retirement tsunami of federal employees may have started. As more and more baby boomers opt to retire, a vacuum of knowledge and experience is being left behind at many agencies. Some federal managers are now scrambling to figure out ways to ride out the wave.
Saving big bucks, the GSA scandal, and more
Allan Roth of CBS MoneyWatch and Federal Times reporters Andy Medici and Steve Losey join host Mike Causey on today's program.
April 11, 2012
OPM retirement backlog falls 14 percent as agency surpasses monthly goals
The Office of Personnel Management has consistently made progress processing retirement claims since the start of the calendar year, even as federal employees continue to retire in higher-than-projected numbers. In each of the first three months of the year, OPM surpassed its processing goal, according to OPM data released last week.
OPM making changes to FEHBP - Is that good news?
In a recent letter to insurers, the Office of Personnel Management requested some changes to federal health plans. Brace yourselves: It's mostly good news. The Federal Drive talked to health-benefits expert Walt Francis to get the details.
OSC initiative zeroes in on worst vet discriminator - the government
The Office of Personnel Management recently reminded federal agencies that the White House has "zero tolerance" for discriminating against veterans in hiring and promotions. But the federal government is still one of the biggest offenders. Patrick Boulay from the Office of Special Counsel told the Federal Drive about a new pilot program aimed at streamlining the complaint process for veterans in the federal government.
