Federal Daily - August 4, 2008

FERS Sick Leave Credit, Automatic TSP Enrollment Pass House

The House passed a bill on July 30 that would give workers enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) credit for unused sick time in their pension calculations—as well as automatically enroll new federal employees in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Under current law, FERS employees—unlike employees under the old Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)—cannot convert unused sick leave at retirement, which is lost if not used. The new incentive will provide FERS employees the same sick-leave benefit employees under CSRS currently enjoy, said Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., who supported the measure. For the first three years after enactment of the new law, employees would receive an addition to their annuity of up to 75 percent of their unused sick-leave days. After that three-year window, 100 percent of retiring federal employees’ sick-leave days would go toward their annuity. In addition to the sick-time provision, the bill included a measure that would automatically enroll new federal employees in the TSP G Fund at a contribution level of 3 percent of basic pay. The two measures were attached to a larger piece of legislation—the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1108)—that would empower the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the tobacco industry. While the bill passed the House overwhelmingly, its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. Also, President Bush has threatened a veto over the tobacco regulations. To see more, go to: www.house.gov/moran.

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TSA to Offer Some Additional Whistleblower Protections

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on July 31 announced that it was implementing a whistleblower protection effort that will allow employees to appeal their retaliation complaints directly to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Previously, Transportation Security Officers TSOs disciplined or fired for blowing the whistle could only file their complaints with the Office of Special Counsel—whose decisions TSA could ignore, said American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President John Gage. “While these safeguards are an improvement to the current system, they fall short of affording TSOs full whistleblower protections,” Gage said. “TSA is still not allowing the workers to appeal a negative decision to the federal courts.” Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), said her union supports a broader range of TSA whistleblower protections embodied in H.R. 985, approved by the House last spring. A recent report by the DHS inspector general found that TSA’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms are ineffective in addressing its problems. To see more, go to: www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=879 or www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1315.

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VA Announces New Nursing Partnerships

In an effort to increase its work force of nurses, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on July 31 announced it was expanding its $40 million partnership program that pairs nursing schools with VA facilities. Seven nursing schools will form new partnerships with nine VA medical centers and join the VA Nursing Academy this year. The VA Nursing Academy—a virtual university based in Washington, D.C.—already has four other paired partnerships in operation. VA said the academy expands learning opportunities for nursing students at VA facilities, funds additional faculty positions at nursing school partners, increases the number of nursing slots available for baccalaureate-level students and increases recruitment and retention of VA nurses. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has reported that in 2006 more than 38,000 qualified applicants were turned away from entry-level baccalaureate degree programs in nursing schools because of insufficient numbers of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space and clinical mentors. “The expanded role of VA in the education of nurses will ensure the department has the nurses needed to continue our world-class health care for veterans," said VA Secretary James Peake. To see more go to:  www.va.gov/oaa.

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