FederalDaily - December 22, 2006

NTEU: Give CBP Officers LEO Status

In the wake of a government law enforcement survey, the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) called on the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to formally designate all customs and border protection officers as law enforcement officers (LEOs) and extend to them compensatory retirement benefits. A new Government Accountability Office survey reported that most of the 17,000 officers function as LEOs. But they don’t get federal LEO retirement benefits, said NTEU President Colleen Kelley, whose union represents about 15,000 CBP employees. NTEU has long argued that CBP officers fit the definition of LEOs and are entitled to retire at age 50 with 20 years of federal service—rights that come with LEO status. “This continuing denial of LEO status for CBP officers is not only wrong, it is indefensible,” said Kelley. To see more, go to: www.CBPunion.org

:: Back to Top ::

Survey Paints Disquieting Portrait of Soldiers’ Stress

A new Army mental health survey paints a sober, if disquieting, assessment of how multiple combat deployments are increasing the stress level of its veteran soldiers. The Army’s Mental Health Advisory Team on Dec. 19 delivered its third annual assessment of soldiers’ mental health. The team surveyed 1,461 troops at forward operating bases in Iraq from October to November 2005. The report, called MHAT III, found the suicide rate in 2005 was the highest since the Iraq invasion in 2003. Suicide prevention training was seen becoming less useful, MHAT III found. The proportion of soldiers who perceived the training as helpful in identifying fellow soldiers at risk declined from 60 percent in 2004 to 55 percent in 2005. Also, MHAT III said that veteran soldiers who served more than one tour had higher rates of acute stress. Acute stress means a soldier may be unable to perform his duties. Among those soldiers serving a repeat deployment, 18.4 percent reported acute stress, versus 12.5 percent of soldiers serving an initial deployment. To see more, go to: www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2006/12/19/1034-army-announces-results-of-third-mental-health-advisory-team-survey

:: Back to Top ::

FSAFEDS Open Season a Hit

A significant number of federal employees took advantage of this year’s Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) open season, according to new figures from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). About 227,000 current federal employees elected to open a flexible spending account to help pay their out-of-pocket medical bills or the costs of dependent care, OPM said Dec. 20. The figure represents a 26 percent increase over the number of FSA account holders OPM counted at the end of open season 2005. FSAFEDS lets federal employees contribute pre-tax income of up to $5,000 each year to a health care FSA to pay for qualified medical expenses not covered by insurance. Employees also may fund a separate FSA account of up to $5,000 annually to cover the cost of child care or to pay for the care of qualifying dependents. “I am very pleased with the overall success of this year's FSAFEDS open season,” said OPM Director Linda Springer. “I am particularly pleased with the number of federal employees who are taking charge of their health care costs by investing in a FSA.” To see more, go to: www.opm.gov/news/fsafeds-open-season-has-another-successful-year,1125.aspx.

:: Back to Top ::