Federal Daily - January 12, 2009
NTEU: OPM Employee Survey Offers Guidance for Improvements
The latest Office of Personnel Management (OPM) employee survey shows that federal employees are committed to their jobs—but it underscores employees’ lack of confidence in senior management, said Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). However, the union said, the report also presents an opportunity for the incoming administration to make improvements. Kelley said OPM’s biennial survey of federal employees, released Jan. 8, highlights employees’ frustration with inadequate resources and lack of training for frontline managers, and noted that more than half the respondents—52 percent—said they believe that arbitrary action, personal favoritism and coercion for partisan political purposes continue to be tolerated in federal agencies. Fewer than half of the respondents—48 percent—said they have a high level of respect for their organization’s senior leaders. On the positive side, Kelley noted that 82 percent of survey respondents reported their belief that they are being held accountable for achieving results—a finding slightly higher than the 79 percent reported two years ago. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1362.
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VA to Reopen Enrollment to Excluded Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Jan. 8 that it will reopen enrollment in its health care system by July to about 265,000 veterans whose incomes exceed current limits. The change affects vets whose incomes surpass the current VA means test and geographic means test income thresholds by 10 percent or less. Congress provided funds in VA’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget to support the new enrollment. Enrollment for the lower priority group—veterans who are not being compensated for a military-related disability and who have incomes above a set threshold—was suspended in 2003. VA originally suspended enrollment for Priority 8 veterans because it was unable to provide all those enrolled with timely access to its health care, the agency said. VA is modifying its computer systems to accommodate the changes, and the department is preparing communications and educational materials to support the effort. “The rule will take effect by June 30, 2009, if the regulatory process proceeds smoothly,” said VA Secretary James Peake. “We look forward to welcoming these newly eligible veterans into the VA system.” To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1641.
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NARFE Lauds GPO/WEP Reform Bill
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Association (NARFE) applauded the introduction of a new bill that would repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)—both of which can cut into benefits for some retired federal employees. The bill, H.R. 235, introduced Jan. 7 by Reps. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Howard McKeon, R-Calif., has attracted 81 co-sponsors and has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. The GPO, in effect since 1983, prevents government retirees who were first eligible to retire in 1982 and later from collecting both a government annuity and Social Security benefits based on their spouse’s work. About 465,000 Social Security beneficiaries are affected by the GPO, most of them women. The WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefit of a federal worker who also receives a government annuity based on his or her own work. Hundreds of thousands of retired federal civil servants, as well as other public-sector retirees, have lost Social Security income as a result of the offsets—and many annuitants are affected by both, said NARFE President Margaret Baptiste. “The GPO and WEP arbitrarily eradicate the earned Social Security benefits of far too many public-sector retirees,” said Baptiste. To see more, go to: www.narfe.org/departments/publicrelations/articles.cfm?ID=1691.
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DHS Moves Closer to Consolidated HQ
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) Jan. 8 approved portions of a General Services Administration (GSA) final master plan to transform the old St. Elizabeth’s Hospital complex in Washington, D.C., into a consolidated home for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The commission approved the West Campus portion of the final master plan and commented favorably on the transportation improvements and the East Campus portion of the plan, NCPC said in a statement. The master plan will guide redevelopment of the 176-acre West Campus and a portion of the 280-acre East Campus and provide a secure single site for DHS. To see more, go to: www.ncpc.gov/mediaroom/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=
256&F_CATEGORY_ID=6&.
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