FederalDaily - March 3, 2006

New OPM Retirement Services Web Site

On a new Office of Personnel Management Web page called “Retirement Services Online,” federal employees can:

• change their federal income tax withholding;
• change their state income tax withholding;
• buy savings bonds;
• request a duplicate Form 1099-R;
• change their personal identification numbers (PIN);
• establish allotments to organizations;
• change their mailing addresses;
• sign up for direct deposit of their payments;
• set up checking or savings allotments; and
• view their annuity statements.

To visit the site, go to https://www.servicesonline.opm.gov/.

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Future Federal Work Force

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Linda Springer, speaking at the 2006 OPM Federal Workforce Conference in Baltimore, Md., last week, said there will be a “substantially new group” of workers joining the federal government to replace retirees. “Ready or not, we are facing issues that will challenge the future work force such as the impending retirement boom,” Springer said. She said the government should learn to market jobs to people who want to work nontraditional hours or part-time. She added that younger generations of workers are less likely to spend an entire career with one employer, and the government needs to learn how to work with this new pattern. Springer asked the audience of more than 1,400 attendees if they felt the government could be more effective at promoting and encouraging public service. Virtually everyone raised their hands. “We’re not very good marketers sometimes,” she said. “We just need to compete for talent.”

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Troops-to-Teachers Needs Improved Management

Almost 4,000 servicemembers—3,875 to be exact—were hired into teaching positions through the Troops-to-Teachers program. But a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says the program requires better management to improve results. The program, which helps military personnel obtain teaching licenses and employment opportunities in high-need areas, received $15 million in fiscal year 2005. GAO noted that the Department of Education developed a draft work plan for the program and improved the definition for high-need school districts. However, GAO recommended the department address the following:

• assess the data used to determine high-need areas;
• coordinate resources with other teacher recruitment programs; and
• develop a managerial forum to discuss retention and recruitment issues.

For more on this program, visit www.jobs2teach.doded.mil.

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Senator Says DHS Budget Short by $8 Billion

To ensure sufficient responses to terrorist acts and natural disasters, the homeland security budget needs an additional $8 billion, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said this week. Regarding the administration’s budget request, Lieberman said, “Not only does the administration budget cut and under-fund critical programs, it fails to outline a comprehensive strategy for filling existing gaps in our homeland defense.” Lieberman’s proposal would add $6.3 billion to the Department of Homeland Security’s budget and $1.8 billion to homeland security programs in other departments. Specifically, the request calls for an additional:

• $2.8 billion for first responders,
• $1.7 billion for port security and the Coast Guard,
• $1 billion for rail and transit security,
• $1 billion for emergency health preparedness programs, and
• $150 million for chemical security.

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