March 5, 2012


Current Issue Highlights

Career experts counter recruitment fears—for now

Two career counselors tell FEND that young job candidates really aren’t turning away from federal employment. Not yet, anyway.


OPM updates savings estimator for 2012

The Office of Personnel Management said it has updated its online retirement savings planning tool for feds.


Thrift Savings Plan Share Prices

Prices as of Feb. 28, 2012.


VA enrollees to get benefits handbooks

Veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system last month began to receive personalized booklets explaining their benefits.


Committee revisits duplicative programs

A House committee last week once again took up the issue of duplicative federal programs.


Informed Investor: Double-check your dependency exemptions

This week’s column discusses the dependency exemption, and explains why it is important for individuals to claim the exemptions they are entitled to on their income tax returns. The column also looks at some of the problems associated the dependency exemption.


Insight by Mike Causey: All in a day's work

Mad as heck and can't take it anymore? Tired of 18 months of fed-bashing from politicians and the media? Looking for a magic bullet to clear the air? If that description fits you, welcome to the real world of being a federal worker in 2012.


Click here to view the March 5 issue as a PDF


Consolidations mean thousands of job cuts

The U.S. Postal Service last month announced that it completed its area mail processing (AMP) studies. USPS released a list of more than 200 processing facilities that it said are slated for consolidation, and which could produce a reduction of as many as 30,000 full-time and 5,000 non-career positions.


Federal Benefits Q&A

Question: “I took a hardship withdrawal from my Thrift Savings Plan account two years ago. Does this preclude me from taking a partial withdrawal when I retire this year?”


SES mobility goals not met, report says

A new research report says that while the Senior Executive Service has failed to become the mobile corps of federal leaders envisioned when the SES was created nearly 35 years ago, there are ways to reach that goal today.


USAID offers childcare subsidy

The U.S. Agency for International Development announced that a subsidiary of a federal employee-funded nonprofit will run its childcare subsidy program.


Union provides online Hatch Act training

One employee union is offering online video training to help government workers learn what they may and may not do during the upcoming election season.


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