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Time for annual OPM pay rate review
The Office of Personnel Management is asking agencies to review the special higher rates of pay they use to ensure sufficient recruitment and retention of certain General Schedule employees in specific occupations, grades and locations.
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Employees should consider increasing TSP contributions for the remainder of 2017
With a little more than four months remaining in 2017, employees are encouraged to increase their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions. This week’s column discusses TSP contribution limits during 2017. Also discussed are the different types of TSP accounts, agency automatic and matching TSP contributions for FERS-covered employees, and the tax consequences of TSP contributions and withdrawals.
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Report: IT breakthroughs offer promise of great improvements in fed workplaces, processes
This week, FEND’s Nathan Abse speaks with Ira Entis, a managing director at Accenture and the lead on the project team that researched and wrote the report, who offered an overview of the report—and his insights into where government and government employees can benefit from developing technological breakthroughs in IT.
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Mini skirts and bias
I don’t think I had ever heard of confirmation bias, nor seen a definition, until this year. It has been around forever, but seems more powerful and widespread as people—depending on their politics or beliefs—seek out sources (liberal or conservative think tanks, cable news shows and commentators) that reinforce the “truth” of what they believe.
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Federal role in prosecuting Charlottesville killing may be limited
Federal employees and managers joined the rest of the country in expressing shock—and condemnation—at the violence that came to Charlottesville, Va., as demonstrations staged there Aug. 12 by out-of-area fringe groups spiraled into a street melee.
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Federal Benefits Q&A
Question: As a new federal employee, I want to buy back my five or so years of military time. Since I started civilian federal employment this year, I'm enrolled in the latest version of FERS called FERS-FRAE. Since buying back my military time moves my service computation date into the past, does that move me into a previous version of FERS (with the more desirable buy in) or am I stuck with this newest one?
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Air Force aims to retain airmen
In an effort to address a shortage of airmen in certain specialties, the Air Force is giving up to an additional two years to get promoted before being involuntarily separated.
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Thrift Savings Share Prices
Thrift Savings Share Prices as of Aug. 16, 2017.
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State Dept. announces minority hiring initiative
In light of current race relations in America, the Secretary of State in a recent address discussed race and diversity in the federal workplace, and announced a new initiative to hire more minorities.