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READ THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THE FEDERAL MANAGER MAGAZINE!
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- FMA Commends Congress for Overriding President’s Veto of the NDAA - January 1, 2021
- Alexandria, VA – On January 1, 2021, the U.S. Senate officially overrode President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 81 to 13, four days after the House voted to override the veto by a margin of 322 to 87, preventing an unprecedented lapse in military funding. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter made the following statement in response to its passage:"FMA commends Congress for acting to prevent the incapacitation of our military, and the accompanying threats to our national security. While FMA is a nonpartisan organization, it recognizes the hesitance many legislators must feel in overriding a president’s veto. The Representatives and Senators who chose not to allow personal politics to irreparably harm this key national interest deserve recognition for their decision. Partisan squabbles should never be allowed to compromise our core interests as a nation.
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- FMA HEARTENED BY PASSAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING OMNIBUS - December 27, 2020
- Alexandria, VA – On December 27, President Trump signed a $1.4 trillion omnibus bill to fund the government through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2021. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter made the following statement in response to its passage:"FMA is heartened that Congress and the administration were able to come to an agreement to fund the government, ensuring that it can plan for a future beyond the next short-term Continuing Resolution (CR). While significant damage has already been done to the ability of the federal government and the military to begin new projects or extend existing ones for this year, and the 87 days lost to CR’s thus far can never be regained, we are pleased that the federal government and military can now plan for the current fiscal year.
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- FMA RELIEVED BY PASSAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING OMNIBUS - December 22, 2020
- Alexandria, VA – On December 21, Congress passed a $1.4 trillion omnibus bill to fund the government through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2021. President Trump is expected to sign the spending package into law. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter made the following statement in response to its passage:
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- FMA STATEMENT ON PROPOSED PAY FREEZE OFFERED IN THE SENATE - November 11, 2020
- Alexandria, VA – On Tuesday, November 10, Senators released Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations plans, including a proposed pay freeze for federal employees. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter made the following comments on the status of a pay raise for federal employees:"As if the Senate’s first real effort to move on full-year appropriations coming 41 days into the fiscal year wasn’t bad enough, it is a double whammy that the proposal includes an across the board pay freeze for the federal workforce.
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- FMA STATEMENT ON EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING SCHEDULE F IN THE EXCEPTED SERVICE - October 23, 2020
- Alexandria, VA – On Wednesday, October 21, President Donald Trump released an Executive Order creating Schedule F in the Federal Government’s Excepted Service. FMA National President Craig Carter made the following statement:
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- FMA STATEMENT ON SENATE PASSAGE OF CONTINUING RESOLUTION - September 30, 2020
- Alexandria, VA – Earlier tonight, September 30, the U.S. Senate approved a Continuing Resolution (CR) providing government funding through December 11, 2020. The final vote was 84 - 10. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter made the following statement in response to its passage:“As I said last week when the House passed the continuing resolution, a CR is preferable to a government shutdown. But preferable in this case does not amount to desirable, except when put against the catastrophe of a government shutdown. Regrettably, this is the exact situation we find ourselves in yet again."
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- FMA COMMENDS HOUSE ON PASSAGE OF CONTINUING RESOLUTION - September 23, 2020
- Alexandria, VA - On September 22 the U.S. House of Representatives approved a continuing resolution (CR) providing government funding through December 11, 2020. The final vote was 359 – 57. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Craig Carter made the following statement in response to its passage:"FMA would like to acknowledge the House’s efforts to fund the federal government. The House successfully passed ten of twelve spending bills before the August recess, and did significant work on all twelve. Passing these spending bills is critical to enabling federal workers and agencies to carry out their crucial missions on behalf of the American people. We thank the House for their commitment to this process. FMA urges the Senate to respond to this overwhelmingly bipartisan continuing resolution by swiftly passing their own CR prior to October 1 when the government would be forced to shut down due to lack of funding.”
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- FMA APPLAUDS SENATE INTRODUCTION OF FEDERAL LABOR-MANAGEMENT COVID PARTNERSHIP ACT - July 31, 2020
- Federal Managers Association honored to be recommended to advise task force.Alexandria, VA – On Tuesday, July 28, the Federal Labor-Management Covid Partnership Act (S. 4347) was introduced in the Senate to create a task force of administration leaders, managers, and union officials, with FMA representing workforce managers. The task force would review agencies’ policies related to the Covid-19 pandemic and make recommendations. As lead sponsor Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) noted, “This bill is about protecting our federal workers during the Covid pandemic.”
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- FMA DISCOURAGED BY OPM DIRECTOR’S RESIGNATION - March 18, 2020
- Alexandria, VA – On Tuesday, March 17, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Dale Cabaniss submitted her resignation. She was confirmed to the post on September 11, 2019. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Renee Johnson made the following comments.“I am discouraged to learn of Director Cabaniss’ resignation as OPM Director. FMA enjoyed a positive working relationship with her and her team and saw eye to eye on many, if not most, issues."
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- FMA Washington Report: January 11, 2021
- This report communicates what FMA’s professional staff is doing on behalf of FMA members in Washington, D.C., and provides an update on issues affecting federal managers. Click here to view the January 11, 2020, edition of FMA's Washington Report. In this issue, we discuss Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations, the National Defense Authorization Act, and the shape of the 117th Congress, among other issues. As always, we encourage you to visit www.fedmanagers.org on a regular basis for information on these and other matters.
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- FMA SOCIAL HOUR AND TELEWORKING CONVERSATION -
- FMA's 83rd ANNUAL CONVENTION & MANAGEMENT TRAINING SEMINAR -
- OPM GUIDANCE ON THE HIGHER ANNUAL LEAVE CARRYOVER LIMIT UNDER SECTION 1111 OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT - JANUARY 5, 2021
- OPM INTERIM RULE: SCHEDULING OF ANNUAL LEAVE BY EMPLOYEES DETERMINED NECESSARY TO RESPOND TO CERTAIN NATIONAL EMERGENCIES - AUGUST 10, 2020
- OPM MEMO: PAID PARENTAL LEAVE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES INTERIM REGULATIONS - AUGUST 7, 2020
- FEEA PROVIDES CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES FOR FEDS - INCLUDING FREE MASKS!
- Help FMA Make the Case for your Benefits - January 15, 2021
- Federal workers have few advocates on Capitol Hill, and Federal managers have even fewer. Read the following piece from Fedweek by Reg Jones on how you can advocate for the your own interests as a federal manager. Jones cites FMA as one of the main organizations representing your interest as a federal employee. Read more below!Plans were advanced in the past four years that would have adverse effects on the federal civil service – including in the form of paying more for reduced benefits. So in the clamor of voices trying to get the new administration’s attention, one has to be that of federal employees and retirees.
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- Be Fiscally Responsible – Pay Feds a Market Wage to End Expensive Turnover - January 6, 2020
- Once a month the Federal Managers Association writes a Hear It from FMA article for the FEDmanager.com newsletter. This article originally ran in the January 5, 2021 issue.The Federal Managers Association believes in good government and fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, the way federal workers are currently paid is the opposite of fiscally responsible.
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- FMA Urges Congress to Avoid a Shutdown - December 11, 2020
- On December 11, the Senate agreed by unanimous voice vote to a one-week extension of the Continuing Resolution (CR) that has funded Fiscal Year 2021 since October 1. The House of Representatives passed the extension on December 9, which allows for more time for negotiations on longer-term appropriations and a stimulus package in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.FMA National President Craig Carter sent a letter to Congress urging passage of appropriations to fund the remainder of Fiscal Year 2021.
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- FMA and Colleagues Work to Block Schedule F - December 11, 2020
- On December 11, FMA joined nearly 80 other signatories on a letter urging congressional leadership to act swiftly to block the implementation of the Executive Order creating Schedule F (E.O. 13957). The EO makes it easier for and administration to remove civil servants and install political appointees in their place.
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- Politicizing the Civil Service is a Disturbingly Bad Idea: FMA Responds to Executive Order - November 3, 2020
Once a month the Federal Managers Association writes a Hear It from FMA article for the FEDmanager.com newsletter. This article originally ran in the November 3, 2020 issue.
As most feds are now aware, President Trump recently signed an executive order to create a Schedule F in the Excepted Service, a new class of career “confidential, policy-determining, or policy-advocating” positions. Concerning to FMA, this move strips civil service protections from a huge, as yet-untold number of federal workers.- Read More
- FMA SPEAKS OUT AGAINST PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER - OCTOBER 23, 2020
- What they’re saying about the new Schedule FNicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkThe October before an election is supposed to bring a few unexpected surprises, and federal employees got one of their own last week in the form of a new executive order.The order creates a brand new class of career “confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating” positions called Schedule F. Under this new schedule, agency heads will have the flexibility to hire and fire individuals to those positions at will — a condition most current political appointees operate under today.
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- FMA Backs Kilmer Bill to Protect Disabled Veteran Leave - October 8, 2020
- On October 8, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) introduced the Federal Worker Leave Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill that would extend disabled veteran leave to 24 months for any veteran who entered the program between March 2019 and June of 2021. Additionally, the bill would restore leave that has already been lost to any disabled veteran who entered the program in March of 2019 or later.FMA National President Craig Carter swiftly endorsed the legislation in a statement:
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- FMA APPLAUDS HOUSE VOTE ON FY20 APPROPRIATIONS - December 18, 2019
- On Tuesday, December 17, 2019, the House of Representatives approved two spending packages that would fund the federal workforce for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020. The funding package includes a 3.1 percent average for federal employees, comprised of a 2.6 percent across-the-board salary increase and a 0.5 percent average boost to locality pay. FMA is pleased with this development, which the association worked for throughout 2019.FMA supports both the pay raise and the spending deal. We urge the Senate to approve the measures, and President Trump to sign the bills into law, prior to the expiration of the current continuing resolution.
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- FMA, OTHER MANAGER GROUPS SUPPORT PICK FOR OPM - May 26, 2017
Federal Managers Groups Largely Support Trump OPM Pick
By Erich Wagner, Government Executive
The Trump administration’s nomination of George Nesterczuk to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management is already making waves among groups that represent federal workers.
While groups representing managers voiced varying levels of support for the announcement Wednesday, a union official was warier of the choice.
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- Lawmakers Want a 3.2% Pay Raise for Federal Employees in 2022 - January 22, 2021
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithSenator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) have introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act in their respective branches of Congress to give federal employees a 3.2% pay raise in 2022.
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- Here’s who’s leading federal agencies in the first days of the Biden Administration - January 21, 2021
- By Federal News Network Staff, Federal News NetworkAlthough President Biden has nominated (or announced his intent to nominate) several members of his cabinet, Senate confirmation will take a while. Here’s a partial list of the acting officials who are currently leading federal agencies.
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- Biden COVID-Relief Plan Offers More Leave for Frontline Feds - January 19, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutivePresident-elect Biden on Thursday unveiled his $1.9 trillion economic and coronavirus relief package, which would provide federal employees with additional access to paid leave.
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- As Secret Service Deploys to Federal Buildings, Employees Across the Country Are Warned to Stay Away - January 15, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveFederal agencies are taking drastic measures to keep employees safe with the looming threat of violence surrounding President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, including by hosting additional federal security personnel and even telling some workers to evacuate their homes.
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- Agencies Outline How Feds Will Repay Payroll Taxes That Have Been Deferred - January 14, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveFederal payroll processors have begun announcing plans for how they will recoup federal employees’ Social Security taxes deferred as part of a controversial Trump administration program between last September and December.
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- Historic absences at MSPB hit 4-year mark, creating potentially costly backlog - January 14, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkAnother year, another milestone for the Merit Systems Protection Board.The board has been without a quorum since January 2017, fours years that encompass the entirety of the Trump administration, and it hasn’t had a single member for nearly two years.
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- Should You Do A Labor Relations Assessment? - January 13, 2021
- By Joe Swerdzewski, FedSmithWhat’s the current state of your labor management relationship? Do you really know or do you just suspect?
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- Federal retirement mostly steady in December after autumn spike, decline - January 12, 2021
- By Amelia Brust, Federal News NetworkThis fall was a volatile period for federal retirement claims – with a noticeable spike in October and mirroring decline the month after. But December seems to have been when activity more or less calmed down, according to numbers released by the Office of Personnel Management.
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- What Democrats’ Senate Majority Means for Federal Agencies - January 11, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveA twin set of victories in the Georgia runoff elections has given Democrats control of the Senate in the 117th Congress, setting the stage for new priorities and legislation that could dramatically impact oversight of federal agencies and the employees who work for them.
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- Coping with Transition Turbulence: A Survival Guide for Civil Servants - January 8, 2021
- By Ronald Sanders, Government ExecutivePresidential transitions are always challenging, but none may be more so than this one if the last few weeks are a harbinger of things to come. Despite laws aimed at smoothing the transfer of power from one administration to another, no previous Congress anticipated our current situation. You can bet that the always-extant turbulence of a transition will be exacerbated as a result.
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- OPM Failed to Issue Guidance for D.C. Federal Workers During Insurrection - January 7, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe agency responsible for closing or delaying the openings of federal facilities in the Washington, D.C., area was nearly silent in the days leading up to Wednesday’s insurrection by violent Trump supporters seeking to overturn the results of November’s presidential election.
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- OPM Issues Guidance on Law Allowing Feds to Temporarily Carry Over More Annual Leave - January 6, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday began its effort to implement a provision of the annual defense policy bill, enacted by Congress last week, that provides federal employees with a temporary waiver of the annual leave cap as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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- Federal Agencies Have Distributed 200K Coronavirus Vaccine Doses So Far - January 5, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveFederal agencies are making significant progress in vaccinating employees and constituents against COVID-19, though they have so far only administered a fraction of the doses they have received.
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- Many Federal Employees Need to Pay Back Deferred Payroll Taxes Starting January 2021 - January 4, 2020
- By Edward A. Zurndorfer, My Federal RetirementIn accordance with President Trump’s memorandum dated Aug. 8, 2020, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin directed that between Sept. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020, eligible federal employees will have the portion of their Social Security (FICA) payroll taxes (equal to 6.2 percent of the employee’s wages) deferred.
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- Trump Signs Order Formalizing 1% Pay Raise for Federal Civilians In 2021 - December 31, 2020
- The raise does not include a change in locality pay.Government ExecutivePresident Trump on Thursday issued an executive order making official his recommendation for a 1% pay raise for civilian federal employees in 2021.
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- Trump Blasts COVID Relief Package, Demands Revisions Risking a Shutdown - December 23, 2020
- By Amelia Gruber, Government ExecutivePresident Trump on Tuesday evening posted a video in which he signaled he would not sign the spending package and coronavirus relief deal Congress passed on Monday after lengthy negotiations, increasing the risk of a government shutdown.
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- Trump vetoes defense bill, teeing up holiday override votes in Congress - December 23, 2020
- By Karoun Demirjian, The Washington PostPresident Trump made good Wednesday on his repeated threats to veto a $741 billion defense spending bill, setting up what is expected to be the first successful veto override of his presidency during his last weeks in office.
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- OPM Proposes Prioritizing Job Performance Over Tenure in Layoffs - December 18, 2020
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management on Thursday proposed regulations that would prioritize employees’ recent performance over their length of service when agencies decide who to lay off during reductions in force.
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- BOTH STAFF CUTS AND BUDGET INCREASES FOR FY 2019 - July 13, 2017
Staff Cuts and Budget Increases Are Both on Tap for 2019
By Eric Katz, Government Executive
The Trump administration has provided federal agencies with the latitude to request up to a 5 percent funding boost in fiscal 2019, saying the White House may accommodate a “limited number” of programmatic increases in its final blueprint.
Generally, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in a memorandum to department and agency heads, agencies should keep their 2019 spending requests in line with what the White House spelled out in the fiscal 2018 budget submission. They should also, however, “identify additional investments in effective programs that further support their mission and fill a clear federal role.”
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- Agencies Could Rehire, Promote Former Employees With New OPM Regulatory Fix - December 24, 2019
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkThe Office of Personnel Management wants to help agencies rehire former employees who have left government — and offer a non-competitive promotion to a higher grade level to sweeten the deal.In a proposed rule, which is scheduled for publication later this week, OPM will recommend new regulations that will allow agencies to non-competitively reappoint former employees to other positions at a higher grade level than when they left government.
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- How The Government Wants Agencies To Regulate AI - January 14, 2020
- By Andrew Eversden, Federal TimesThe Office of Management and Budget released a draft memorandum Jan. 13 providing guidance to agencies on how they should approach regulation of industry’s artificial intelligence applications.The guidance emphasizes that agencies should consider how any regulatory action would potentially hinder expansion of AI use. The draft memo “calls on agencies, when considering regulations or policies related to AI applications, to promote advancements in technology and innovation."
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- Be Fiscally Responsible – Pay Feds a Market Wage to End Expensive Turnover - January 6, 2020
- Once a month the Federal Managers Association writes a Hear It from FMA article for the FEDmanager.com newsletter. This article originally ran in the January 5, 2021 issue.The Federal Managers Association believes in good government and fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, the way federal workers are currently paid is the opposite of fiscally responsible.
- Read More
- Politicizing the Civil Service is a Disturbingly Bad Idea: FMA Responds to Executive Order - November 3, 2020
Once a month the Federal Managers Association writes a Hear It from FMA article for the FEDmanager.com newsletter. This article originally ran in the November 3, 2020 issue.
As most feds are now aware, President Trump recently signed an executive order to create a Schedule F in the Excepted Service, a new class of career “confidential, policy-determining, or policy-advocating” positions. Concerning to FMA, this move strips civil service protections from a huge, as yet-untold number of federal workers.- Read More
- Advocating for Feds to Keep Their Earned Leave - September 28, 2020
- This article originally ran in the September 1, 2020 issue of FEDManager.com.Much of what we do here at the Federal Managers Association comes down to trying to get a square deal for feds. We recognize that federal managers do critical work on behalf of the country, and that without them and the work they do, the country would not function as well as it does. From disaster response to building transportation infrastructure to protecting our national security, feds do the hard work of keeping our country safe, prosperous, and strong.
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- A Fair Pay Raise for Feds in 2021 - August 5, 2020
- This article originally ran in the August 4, 2020 issue of FEDManager.com.One of FMA’s primary objectives each year is to provide a fair pay raise for federal employees that reflects their selfless contributions to their fellow Americans. In February, before the disruptions of Covid-19 set in, President Trump proposed a 1 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2021. While better than a pay freeze, a 1 percent raise fails to keep up with inflation and is inadequate. Regrettably, Congress has thus far chosen to remain silent on the pay raise issue in the appropriations process, effectively acceding to the president’s proposal. Most recently, on Thursday, July 30, the House of Representatives approved a major spending package without language to provide a reasonable pay raise for federal employees in 2021.
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- Infrastructure Investments and Modernization Needed at Federal Installations - February 5, 2020
- Hear It from FMA, FedManager.comOn Wednesday, January 29, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other top legislators in the House unveiled a $760 billion infrastructure package. They appealed to President Trump, who campaigned on a $1 trillion infrastructure plan, to join them in moving this funding forward. As recently as May 2019, the President was expected to propose a $2 trillion infrastructure package, but he urged Congress to first pass the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal. He signed that deal into place on January 29, the same day House Democrats offered their infrastructure proposal.
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- Viewpoint: Let’s Keep a Level Playing Field for TSP Investors - November 25, 2019
- Participants in the federal employee retirement savings program deserve the same investment options as other Americans.The Federal Managers Association sits on the Employee Thrift Advisory Council (ETAC) which advises the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB). Clifford Dailing is Chair of ETAC, and Michael Kennedy is Chair of FRTIB.By Michael Kennedy and Clifford Dailing, Government ExecutiveWhen President Ronald Reagan signed the Federal Employees’ Retirement System Act in 1986 flanked by a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers, the intent was clear: to provide federal employees a defined contribution retirement plan like private employers’ 401(k) plans. The Thrift Savings Plan has grown to hold the retirement savings of more than 5.5 million participants from federal and military service, with total assets of $600 billion.
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- FMA’s Take On The Agency Reorganization Proposals - July 3, 2018
- The Federal Managers Association, FEDmanager.comIt has been two weeks (as of writing) since the administration formally unveiled its long-awaited agency reorganization plan, called “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century.” We at FMA have heard from many of our members and continue to analyze the merits for reform.
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