Federal Daily - October 9, 2009

Defense Authorization Compromise Repeals NSPS

The conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, released Oct. 7, includes authority to repeal the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). The bill requires all employees under NSPS to be transitioned back to the General Schedule by Jan. 1, 2012. At the same time, the bill gives DoD a number of new hiring, assigning and performance-appraisal flexibilities that extend across the DoD civilian workforce, and offers the secretary of Defense the chance to propose others. Federal employee unions lauded the conferees’ decision to revoke NSPS. American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President John Gage said the move “has been a long time coming,” and expressed thanks to the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees for their “courageous decision to repeal the fatally-flawed NSPS pay system.” Gage said that all the information collected on the system by Congress—and by a Defense Business Board task group—came down on the side of repealing the system, which he said was created “by ideologues seeking to destroy collective bargaining, federal unions and employee rights and protections.” National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley also praised the move. “By this action, the conferees have declared NSPS to be a failure. As long as NSPS was in place, there was a danger that such flawed practices could be adopted throughout government.” The compromise agreement was sent to the full House and Senate for a final vote. To see more, go to: http://armed-services.senate.gov/press/NDAA%20FY10%20Conference
%20Press%20Release.pdf, or www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=1057.

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House Conferees Approve a Range of Improvements for Feds

Federal employees would see a range of improvements to retirement and work rules under measures included in the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (H.R. 2647), released Oct. 7. The final agreement—sent to the House and Senate for final approval—would allow federal agencies to re-employ federal retirees on a limited, part-time basis without penalty; permit Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) workers to credit their unused sick leave toward retirement; and extend locality pay to federal employees working in Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. territories. On re-employment, federal employees who return to civil service after retirement now are penalized in the form of a pay reduction to offset their federal retirement annuity. The new law would change that. Reemployed annuitants would be able to work a total of 3,120 hours before any offset to annuity occurs. “Many federal retirees continue to make critical contributions to our safety and well-being,” said National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association President Margaret L. Baptiste. “This is a victory for active and retired federal employees.” The sick-leave language included in the conference report allows FERS employees who retire before Jan. 1, 2014, to credit 50 percent of their unused sick leave toward their annuity. After a four-year phase-in period, FERS employees will receive full credit for unused sick leave upon retirement. The legislation also would phase out cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for workers in Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories because COLAs do not count as basic pay for retirement purposes. For these areas, the legislation would phase in locality pay over a period of three years, combined with an annuity buy-in. “This is a major victory for federal employees,” said Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. “These revisions to the federal retirement system are long overdue.” To see more, go to: http://armed-services.senate.gov/press/NDAA%20FY10%20Conference
%20Press%20Release.pdf, www.narfe.org/departments/home/articles.cfm?ID=1916 or www.house.gov/moran.

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OPM Launches On-line Training to Expedite Hiring Those With Disabilities

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Oct. 7 announced it soon will be offering on-line training for federal hiring officials that is designed to expedite recruiting and hiring individuals with disabilities. The training will start in November and is meant to educate managers, supervisors and human resources managers on ways to use Schedule A hiring authority to recruit and hire those with disabilities, the agency said. In addition to the training, OPM, along with the Department of Labor, will hold a hiring fair in the spring for those with disabilities. “I believe strongly that the federal government should be the model of diversity for all of America,” said OPM Director John Berry. “Hiring a diverse workforce means hiring people with disabilities. This should be a core objective of the federal government because it works.” To further address the need for a diverse workforce, OPM said it also will create a task force comprised of representatives from agencies that have developed and implemented model practices for recruiting, retaining and advancing employees with disabilities. The task force will recommend new practices agencies can use to encourage the employment of disabled individuals. To see more, go to: www.opm.gov/news/opm-announces-plans-to-provide-online-training-to-hiring-officials-who-will-help-level-the-playing-field-for-those-with-disabilities,1484.aspx.

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