Federal Daily - August 21, 2008

EEOC Complaints Down Slightly Among Feds

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Aug. 19 released its “Annual Report on the Federal Work Force for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007. The report, which covers October 2006 through September 2007, shows federal employees and applicants filed 16,363 complaints alleging employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability and reprisal in FY 2007. That number was down from 16,723 complaints in FY 2006, and 18,000 complaints in FY 2005. The commission said that of 7,673 cases closed on the merits, 2.8 percent resulted in findings of unlawful discrimination. Parties entered into settlements in 3,262 complaints, or 20.6 percent of the total complaint closures, EEOC said. To see the full report, go to: www.eeoc.gov/federal/fsp2007/index.html.

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Bush Designates Second Acting GSA Head

President Bush on Aug. 19 designated Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner James A. Williams to serve as acting administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA). Williams replaces Acting GSA Administrator David Bibb, who is retiring Aug. 29. Bibb, a GSA deputy administrator, took over April 30 as acting head of the government’s contracting and building agency following the abrupt resignation of Lurita Doan. Williams, who has 28 years in the federal civil service, was nominated to be GSA administrator on June 25, but will serve as acting head of the agency while his nomination awaits Senate confirmation. Williams became FAS Commissioner on June 25, 2006. Prior to that, he served as the director of the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program at the Department of Homeland Security. To see more, go to: www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?pageTypeId=
8199&channelId=-13259&P=&contentId=24824&content
Type=GSA_BASIC

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NTEU Applauds Move to Expand Alternative Work Schedules

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) applauded an effort by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., to expand work schedule options for federal employees—including a possible four-day, 10-hour-a-day work week. In a letter to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Hoyer sought out options to reduce gas consumption and commuting expenses in the face of rising fuel costs. In his letter, Hoyer said that a 4/10 schedule would be a particular advantage in the Washington metro area, where about 400,000 residents are federal employees. In an Aug. 19 statement, NTEU President Colleen Kelley lauded the letter, and noted her union’s attempts in contract negotiations to include provisions giving employees options other than the traditional five-day work week. Such options, she said, are particularly useful in helping agency recruitment and retention efforts. “Alternative work schedules are an excellent tool to improve employee morale and productivity while reducing energy consumption and commuting costs,” Kelley said. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1320.

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