Whistleblower Retaliation
Whistleblower reprisal cases have increased six-fold in the last few years. Although some whistleblower reprisal cases are unsubstantiated, it can be easy to make targets of federal officials. More and more managers, supervisors and law enforcement officials are accused of and investigated for some allegation at some point in their careers.
Senators Request Information On ‘Use It Or Lose It’ Spending
U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-WS) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) – the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) – were joined by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Gary Peters (D-MI) – the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight & Emergency Management – in sending “letters to the chief financial officers of 13 federal agencies Tuesday raising concerns about potentially wasteful spending in the final weeks before the end of the fiscal year.”
Federal Circuit Denies Petition For Rehearing In Drug Test Case
An employee who was removed from federal employment as a result of a positive drug test appealed his removal.
Paying Off Your Mortgage in 5-7 Years
WAEPA’s Annual Member Meeting this October will include a Plenary Address by Jordan Goodman, America’s Money Answers Man, on a variety of cutting-edge topics surrounding Financial Wellness. WAEPA sat down with Jordan to discuss one of the most noteworthy portions planned for speech, centered around paying off your mortgage in 5-7 years (on your existing level of income!).
Federal Employees May Still See Pay Raise From Congress
Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would zero-out previously planned pay increases and locality pay adjustments for federal employees in 2019 -- a proposal that drew widespread and bipartisan criticism from the Hill and a diverse array of governance and employee groups – signs from Congress indicate the matter might not yet be settled.
Senate Committee Members Send Letter To FEMA Regarding Alleged Misconduct
Late last week, four members of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC), including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), the committee’s chairman, and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), the committee’s ranking member, sent letters to the FEMA Administrator and Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) regarding FEMA’s July “investigative report concerning allegations of misconduct and mismanagement by former Chief Component Human Capital Officer Corey Coleman.”
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Federal Sector Programs
Tune in this Friday to hear host Tony Vergnetti of Federal Employee Defense Services talk with Dexter Brooks and Timothy Bladek from the EEOC Office of Federal Operations.
Money-Saving Discounts for Federal Employees
While government jobs are known for their stability, they are not necessarily renowned for their pay scales. Fortunately, one of the perks of being a federal employee is that many companies are willing to thank public servants by offering them discounts on almost anything, from computers and cell phones to hotels and flights. Such discounts and deals are provided exclusively to federal employees and their families. To capitalize on these savings, be on the lookout for the following essential federal employee discounts:
Senate Passes $854 Billion Funding Bill For Health, Education, And Defense
Late last week, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of an $854 billion spending bill that funds huge swaths of the federal government, including $675 billion in defense funding and additional funds for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and other agencies.
FMA Celebrates Another Extension of Disabled Veteran Leave
Score another legislative victory for the Federal Managers Association (FMA)! In last month’s ‘Hear it from FMA’ we touted the successful repeal of Department of Defense policy that reduced long-term TDY per diems. And this past Wednesday, August 22, Congress finalized passage of Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Transition Improvement Act of 2017 (S. 899), which will provide disabled veteran leave to qualified new hires of Title 38. This bipartisan bill, authored by Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) is headed to President Trump’s desk for his signature into law.
20/20 Hindsight
The California wildfires are wreaking havoc among Californians’ houses, businesses, and schools. California’s largest wildfire in state history is all consuming with tough decisions being made each minute to contain the fire and deter further destruction.
USDA Sends 30-Day Notice To Congress On Planned Relocation Of 600 DC Employees
Following recent news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would be relocating as many as 700 employees across two of its major components, the agency “has initiated the 30-day notice to Congress about its plans to move two bureaus outside the Washington, D.C. area,” according to a Federal News Radio exclusive from Jason Miller.
Trump Signs NDAA Including Acquisitions, Pay Raise For Military
On Monday, President Trump signed the latest National Defense Authorization Act into law, a $717 billion defense legislation package that will provide $639 billion in base funding for the Department of Defense, set aside another $69 billion for a fund called “Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), and provide $21.9 billion for the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons programs.
House OGR Planning To Tackle FEMA Sexual Harassment And Misconduct Allegations
House Oversight and Government Reform (OGR) Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) have signaled that they will hold a hearing on recent allegations that emerged following an internal investigation at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FMA Celebrates Major Win for DOD Civilian and Uniformed Military Travelers
The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is an organization dedicated to representing the interests of managers in the federal government on Capitol Hill, and one of the primary reasons people join is for our legislative advocacy. Thanks in large part to that advocacy, the Department of Defense (DOD) will soon be prohibited from reducing the long-term temporary duty (TDY) per diems for all DOD civilian and uniformed military travelers based on duration of the assignment.
10 Financial Goals to Reach By Age 40
Once we hit our 40s, we should have a firm handle on our careers, our family relationships, and have built a strong foundation for long-term financial success. To help you get a gauge on where you are, we’ve put together our 10 Financial Goals to Reach By Age 40.
We Need Space: Federal Partnerships in Space Exploration
Catch up on last week’s FEDtalk and hear about the changing face of federal space exploration and research, including the increased reliance on public/private partnerships with academia and private organizations such as Boeing and SpaceX.
Congressman: Quantum Computing Equivalent To Being First To Acquire ‘Digital Nuclear Bomb’
Late last week, Congressman Mike McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, equated the pursuit of a breakthrough on quantum computing to the nuclear arms race, arguing that the technology would be a game-changing tool, according to FedScoop’s Carten Cordell.