Federal Daily - March 9, 2010

OPM Releases 3Rs Report

The Office of Personnel Management’s annual report to Congress documenting agencies’ use of recruitment, relocation and retention (3R) bonuses indicates a substantial increase in the use of the payments during calendar year 2008. OPM Director John Berry last month launched an effort to increase oversight of the incentive payments, which have been used in much greater numbers over the past several years.

According to the report, the number of 3R incentives paid out increased by 21 percent between 2007 and 2008, and the total amount paid for them rose by 37 percent. In particular, the number of recruitment bonuses alone—and total amount paid for them—increased by more than 47 percent and 49 percent, respectively, during the period..

OPM documented 11,396 recruitment incentives in 2008 averaging $7,543 each, for a total of more than $85.9 million. Agencies that year also paid out $42.9 million for 3,307 relocation incentives that averaged $13,000, and $155.8 million for 24,808 incentives averaging $6,284 to retain employees likely to leave federal service.

In a Feb. 3 memo to chief human capital officers, OPM Director John Berry said he was troubled over growth in the use of the bonuses, which amounted to more than $284 million paid by 47 agencies in 2008. In addition to the increase in the number of incentives awarded between 2007 and 2008, the total incentive cost increased by more than 37 percent over the period, he said.

To see the OPM report and a further breakdown, go to: www.opm.gov/oca/pay/html/3RsReportToCongressCY08.pdf.

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Obama Announces New TSA Nominee

President Obama on March 8 announced he would nominate retired Army general and intelligence expert Robert A. Harding to lead the Transportation Security Administration.

Harding, a former major general who retired after 33 years in the Army, would become DHS assistant secretary and TSA administrator. His nomination, which has to be confirmed by the Senate, is Obama’s second attempt to fill the position. The president’s initial pick, Erroll Southers, withdrew his name from consideration in January when it became clear he would face a tough confirmation battle.

“I am confident that Bob’s talent and expertise will make him a tremendous asset in our ongoing efforts to bolster security and screening measures at our airports,” Obama said. If confirmed, Harding would become the fifth person to run TSA since its inception after the 9/11 attacks, and the first African-American administrator.

Prior to his retirement from the Army, Harding was director for operations from 1996 to 2000 at the Defense Intelligence Agency, serving as DoD’s senior human intelligence officer. After leaving the Army in 2001, Harding founded and served as CEO of Harding Security Associates, which he sold in 2009. The firm provides security solutions to agencies in the Intelligence and Defense communities.

To see more, go to: www.dhs.gov/index.shtm

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Agencies Prepare for Disabilities Hiring Event

Three federal agencies hosted a March 5 seminar for federal human resources staff members and managers to study up on ways to enhance the employment and retention of people with disabilities.

The session prepared HR staff members for a much-anticipated federal hiring event for civilians and veterans with disabilities slated for April 26. Candidates with disabilities will be able to interview for federal jobs at the April job fair, the event’s organizers said.

The event—sponsored by DoD’s Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program; the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Office of Personal Management—was held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington. OPM Director John Berry gave an overview of federal efforts to hire people with disabilities.

To see more, go to: http://tinyurl.com/yef5kko.

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