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READ THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THE FEDERAL MANAGER MAGAZINE!
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- Celebrating FMA Manager of the Year Kimberly Price - April 7, 2021
- This article originally ran in the April 6, 2022 issue of FEDManager.comThe Federal Managers Association has recognized Kimberly Price, President of FMA Chapter 191, Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), as FMA’s Manager of the Year – an award that she richly deserves. Kimberly has been an employee of the RRB since June 1990. Kimberly has spent at least two-thirds of her career in some form of leadership or management, rising through the ranks to her current position as Director of Policy and Systems, a position she has held since May 2015. Kimberly is both the first woman and the first African American to ever hold this executive level position.
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- Over 200 Groups Call for Whistleblower Reform for Public Servants - April 2, 2021
- FMA and several other federal employee organizations signed onto the letter to President Biden and congressional leaders.Courtney Buble, Government ExecutiveOver 200 groups called on President Biden and congressional leadership on Thursday to enact stronger whistleblower protection laws, especially to ensure that the government is fairly spending trillions of dollars in pandemic relief funding.
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- RRB Official Named Federal Manager of the Year - March 18, 2021
- FMA's Kimberly Price announced as Manager of the Year during 83rd National Convention.FedweekThe Federal Managers Association has named Kimberly Price, director of policy and systems at the Railroad Retirement Board and a member of FMA’s chapter there as Federal Manager of the Year.Said the announcement, “Kimberly is known for inspiring and motivating others within the RRB and for coaching, mentoring and challenging subordinates, managing the activities and setting priorities and goals for more than sixty analysts and support staff. She has been deservedly honored with many leadership awards” including the RRB’s Award for Excellence.
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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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- FMA Washington Report: April 12, 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 April 12, 2021, edition of FMA's Washington Report. In this issue, we discuss legislation to reform the WEP, the effort to restore the MSPB, and FMA-supported ways to protect whistleblowers, 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 TOWN HALL: ENGAGING YOUR CHAPTER WITH YOUR COMMUNITY - APRIL 13, 2021
- OPM MEMO: RECENT PAY AND LEAVE-RELATED LEGISLATIVE CHANGES - FEBRUARY 16, 2021
- CREATING A SAFER FEDERAL WORKFORCE: A RESPONSE TO COVID-19
- OPM GUIDANCE ON THE HIGHER ANNUAL LEAVE CARRYOVER LIMIT UNDER SECTION 1111 OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT - JANUARY 5, 2021
- Schedule F: What Does Its Repeal Mean for Federal Employees’ Due Process Rights? - April 15, 2021
- By Mathew B. Tully, Esq., FedSmithPresident Joe Biden’s recent Executive Order (EO) on Protecting the Federal Workforce reverses the limitations on employee due process implemented during the prior administration, particularly as regarded to the creation of a Schedule F—which undid nearly all employment protections for employees at the high end of the scale.
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- Understanding the Difference Between Postponed and Deferred FERS Retirement - April 14, 2021
- By Neal Thompson, FedSmithWhile heading to the office each day may feel pretty much the same no matter where you work, there are some big differences in the working lives of federal employees. One of the major things that set careers in public service apart is the retirement system. The Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) is a major benefit for civilian workers in the federal government, but its rules are complex. If you don’t fully understand them, you could make a costly mistake that keeps you from maximizing your pension during retirement.
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- OPM Looks to Update Federal Job Competencies - April 13, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management last week announced that it would conduct a new survey of federal agencies to determine what skills are needed for jobs throughout the federal government, an effort officials say will help inform an array of federal personnel policies.
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- Is the federal workforce due for a big growth spurt? - April 12, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkEvery once and while, usually around the start and end of administrations, a debate surfaces about the size of the federal workforce.
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- Agencies struggle to find qualified talent through public job postings, even with skills assessments - April 9, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkMost agencies rely on job candidates to self-certify their own skills and abilities, but those assessments bring in qualified talent about half the time, according to a federal hiring data dashboard.
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- Biden Taps Former Missouri Secretary of State to Lead GSA - April 8, 2021
- By Courtney Buble, Government ExecutivePresident Biden announced on Tuesday afternoon his intent to nominate the former secretary of state of Missouri to be head of the General Services Administration.
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- Growing Momentum to Fix Some Feds’ Retirement, and More - April 8, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveOrganizations representing federal employees and retirees are hopeful that a controversial tax rule that limits the Social Security benefits of former feds who have spent time in the private sector could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to two bills making their way through Congress.
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- White House running out of time to restore functionality to MSPB, congressmen warn - April 7, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkIn a show of bipartisanship, the top Democrat and Republican on a House Oversight and Reform subcommittee are calling on the Biden administration to do its part and nominate members to the Merit Systems Protection Board, the first of many steps needed to restore a long-awaited quorum.
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- OPM’s Retirement Backlog Creeps Higher in March - April 6, 2021
- By Ian Smith, FedSmithThe backlog of retirement claims at the Office of Personnel Management climbed 3.43% higher in March and is starting to approach a milestone figure that won’t be appealing to retirees awaiting their benefits payments.
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- Pandemic telework has been a boon for DoD worker productivity, IG says - April 5, 2021
- By Scott Maucione, Federal News NetworkA vast majority of Defense Department employees found themselves at least as productive teleworking compared to working in an office, and a plurality said their productivity increased, according to the Pentagon’s official watchdog.
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- OPM Finalizes Rule Ensuring Feds Can Change Insurance During Shutdowns - April 2, 2021
- During the 35-day government shutdown, some workers were unable to make changes to their health benefits because the employees responsible for processing those changes were furloughed.Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management moved Thursday to finalize new regulations that will ensure federal workers can make changes to their insurance enrollment following major life events in the midst of a government shutdown.
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- Biden Proposes $28B to Revamp Federal Buildings, More for Electrified Federal Fleet - April 1, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutivePresident Biden unveiled on Wednesday a plan to provide a significant boost to federal building funding and to overhaul the way the government’s capital projects are financed.
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- Federal HR in need of attention and resources, Partnership says - March 31, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkAgencies lose ground on their quest to find the best talent and meet their increasingly complicated missions when they fail to improve and transform outdated federal human resources, according to a recent report from the Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte.
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- Special pandemic hiring extended to the end of the year - March 30, 2021
- By Jessie Bur, Federal TimesFederal agencies may continue to hire short-term employees to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of this year, under guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management March 29.
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- Why the TSP’s lifecycle funds are picking up popularity - March 29, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkMost participants remember what their retirement portfolios looked like a year ago, and few would likely want to return to that place. A year later though, most TSP funds have recovered and beat last year’s returns before the insanity started.
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- What Does OSC’s Amicus Curiae with the MSPB Mean for Federal Employees and Whistleblower Retaliation? - March 26, 2021
- By Matthew B. Tully, Esq., FedSmithThe Office of Special Counsel (OSC) recently filed an amicus curiae brief with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) in Salazar v. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, a whistleblower retaliation case. This is the second brief OSC has filed in support of Salazar, with the first brief filed in 2016.
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- Biden Administration Issues New Guidance Instructing Agencies to Start Tracking Goals Again - March 25, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveThe White House on Wednesday formally reinstated requirements for federal agencies to create and track performance goals that reflect the Biden administration's objectives, reversing an 11th hour change the Trump administration implemented shortly before leaving office.
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- Senate Confirms Shalanda Young to Be Deputy OMB Director - March 24, 2021
- By Courtney Buble, Government ExecutiveThe Senate voted 63-37 to confirm Shalanda Young to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday.
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- House Democrat seeking answers from NFC on federal retirement delays - March 23, 2021
- By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News NetworkA top Democrat on the House Oversight and Reform Committee is looking for answers from the National Finance Center, which agencies have said is contributing to recent delays in processing federal retirement packages.
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- In 'Landmark' Ruling, Court Raises Threshold for Firing Feds - March 22, 2021
- By Eric Katz, Government ExecutiveFederal agencies are now facing new requirements to fire employees thanks to a court ruling that reversed a decades old precedent.
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- Study: OPM-GSA Merger Proposal Would Not Have Solved Problems It Aimed to Fix - March 19, 2021
- By Erich Wagner, Government ExecutiveThe Office of Personnel Management should be re-empowered as the leader in human capital management across the entire federal government, not relegated to offices within the White House and the General Services Administration, according to the recommendations from a long-awaited study on the future of the agency.
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- OPM Modernization is Critical to Building the Federal Workforce the Nation Needs - March 18, 2021
- Rigid and outdated hiring, pay and performance policies and practices are hurting government’s capacity to respond to urgent problems.Terry Gerton & Janet Hale, Government ExecutiveEvery level of government is grappling with unprecedented challenges that are increasingly complex and interconnected. The urgent need for leaders, managers, technical experts and front-line workers in the right jobs, with the right skills, and at the right time has never been greater. Our human capital is one of the nation’s most important assets and a foundational element for effective governance.
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- Common Misconceptions About the FERS Supplement - March 17, 2021
- By Dallen Haws, FedSmithThe FERS Supplement or the Special Retirement Supplement is a nice benefit to fill the gap between retirement and age 62 for retired federal employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Unfortunately, there is a ton of misinformation about how this benefit works and who gets it.
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- 3 Ways to Supplement Your Federal Retirement Income - March 16, 2021
- By Jason Kay, FedSmithWorking for the federal government has lots of perks, such as competitive pay, good benefits packages, federal holidays off, and the chance to have a good work-life balance. Perhaps the most notable advantage to being a federal employee is the retirement package that comes with the job, especially given that many employers in the private sector don’t offer an employer-sponsored retirement plan.
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- Special Federal Employee Leave Fund Finalized - March 12, 2021
- FedweekPresident Biden has signed into law a bill creating a special – albeit short term – fund to provide additional paid leave to federal employees for certain pandemic-related reasons.
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- Railroad Retirement Board taps Bitzer as HR director - February 23, 2021
- We are proud of FMA's own Nancy Bitzer at the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, who is featured in this article covering her appointment as director of human resources. We are excited to hear from Ms. Bitzer at our virtual national convention in March.Progressive RailroadingThe U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has appointed Nancy Bitzer director of human resources.Bitzer most recently served as the RRB's chief of human services/labor relations, a position she held since since September 2013, RRB officials said in a press release.
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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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- KIMBERLY PRICE NAMED 2020 FMA MANAGER OF THE YEAR - March 15, 2021
- Recognized by her peers, Ms. Price provides exceptional leadership at the U.S. Railroad Retirement BoardAlexandria, VA - The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is proud to announce Ms. Kimberly Price as the winner of FMA's Manager of the Year award for 2020. She is the Director of Policy and Systems at the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) and has been a member of FMA since 2009.
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- FMA SUPPORTS NOMINATION OF KIRAN AHUJA FOR OPM DIRECTOR - February 23, 2021
- Alexandria, VA – President Biden announced Kiran Ahuja as his nominee for Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) today. The Federal Managers Association (FMA) supports and endorses Ahuja for this nomination. FMA National President Craig Carter made the following comments on the announcement:"FMA is pleased with Kiran Ahuja’s nomination as Director, and believe she is an exceptional choice to lead OPM. Her previous experience and service – including several years as chief of staff at OPM – ensure she has the background and qualifications to effectively lead this agency at this critical time.
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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 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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- Celebrating FMA Manager of the Year Kimberly Price - April 7, 2021
- This article originally ran in the April 6, 2022 issue of FEDManager.comThe Federal Managers Association has recognized Kimberly Price, President of FMA Chapter 191, Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), as FMA’s Manager of the Year – an award that she richly deserves. Kimberly has been an employee of the RRB since June 1990. Kimberly has spent at least two-thirds of her career in some form of leadership or management, rising through the ranks to her current position as Director of Policy and Systems, a position she has held since May 2015. Kimberly is both the first woman and the first African American to ever hold this executive level position.
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- 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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