Veterans’ Same-Sex Spouses Still Waiting for Benefits

• By Eric Katz
• July 17, 2013
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When the Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, more than 1,000 federal laws involving marriage allowed same-sex spouses to reap the same benefits that opposite-sex couples enjoy.

Through something of a loophole, however, those rights were not expanded to same-sex spouses receiving benefits through the Veterans Affairs Department. 

This is because current law does not simply say “marriage” or “spouse,” as do the 1,000 plus laws affected by the DOMA decision; instead, the U.S. code explicitly states the following: “The term ‘spouse’ means a person of the opposite sex who is a wife or husband.”

Other federal agencies have been quick to issue preliminary regulations on the effects of the Supreme Court’s ruling on their policies. The Office of Personnel Management put out detailed guidance describing the benefits for which same-sex spouses are now eligible. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a statement that the Pentagon “will immediately begin the process of implementing the Supreme Court’s decision in consultation with the Department of Justice and other executive branch agencies,” adding the department “intends to make the same benefits available to all military spouses -- regardless of sexual orientation.”

So while husbands and wives of ...

What Exactly is Fair in Federal Compensation?

• By Kellie Lunney
• July 11, 2013
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When it comes to pay, fairness is an elusive concept. What is too much, too little, just right? The answers depend on who’s talking, and when they’re talking.

This is why the debate about whether federal employees are over- or underpaid rages on. It’s complicated, relative, and, of course, political.

Federal compensation once again dominated government news headlines this week. Furloughs for 650,000 Defense Department civilians across the country began on Monday, guaranteeing those employees smaller paychecks this summer. Acting Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Danny Werfel said he wants to get rid of performance bonuses in 2013 to reduce the number of furlough days employees are forced to take. And the Senior Executives Association is trying to reignite a discussion of pay compression, a byproduct of the government’s imperfect pay systems.

Pay compression could be a bigger long-term threat to the government than even furloughs or budget cuts.

Advocates for senior executives, most notably SEA, have argued for years that the structure of the Senior Executive Service’s pay-for-performance system impedes the government’s ability to recruit and retain top employees. In some cases, the pay of senior executives overlaps with that of workers in ...

The Federal Parental Leave Policy’s Hidden Flexibilities

• By Kellie Lunney
• June 27, 2013
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Yahoo 16, Uncle Sam 0.

Those are the weeks of paid maternity leave available to employees at a leading U.S. technology company and the federal government. If 16-0 were the score of a game where having the most points matters, then there would be a clear winner and a clear loser. But reality is rarely that black and white. The decision to offer employees in any sector paid parental leave is complicated by cost and politics. There’s no law mandating paid maternity or paternity leave in the United States, although many organizations increasingly view the benefit as a wise investment in the endless campaign to attract and retain workers.

Unfortunately for Uncle Sam, lots of federal employees are keeping score on maternity and paternity leave, and many of them don’t like the column they’re in. The government’s parental leave policy is a big issue for some employees at the Housing and Urban Development Department, says Michael Lawyer, a program analyst for the Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control and co-founder of HUD Under 5, a grass-roots group designed to improve morale and retention among employees who have worked at the department less than ...

Looking Out for Military Families

• By Eric Katz
• June 20, 2013
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The Defense Department could be doing more to protect members of the military. The issue is not stronger tanks or better armor, but an entirely different type of security. The Pentagon is seeking to protect members of the armed forces from predatory loans.

While a 2007 law was initially effective at curbing predatory lending to military members, the Defense Department said in a notice of proposed rulemaking, lenders have adapted and evolved their practices to target service members and their dependents.

The recently formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has identified several loopholes lenders have used, as well as certain vulnerabilities unique to members of the armed forces.

Marketers often exploit service members’ loyalty by tying their pitches to the military in a strategy called “affinity marketing,” according to CFBP’s Office of Servicemembers Affairs. Additionally, lenders prey on military members because they frequently relocate, causing unforeseen expenses and in turn “a lack of familiarity with the local environment.”

Military families may also be vulnerable because they are required to maintain good finances, as per the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. In some instances,  service members can be convicted of dishonorable conduct if they fail to pay creditors.

The 2013 National ...

Pay Uncertainty

• By Kellie Lunney
• June 13, 2013
• comments

Lawmakers have reliably disagreed over the federal civilian pay raise for a while, whether to freeze or unfreeze it, and for how long. Now they’ve got differences over how much to boost military pay in 2014.

The House this week is considering the fiscal 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, which would give members of the military a 1.8 percent pay increase next year. The Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee marked up its version of the defense authorization bill on Tuesday, however, with a 1 percent pay raise for service members in 2014. The 1 percent figure is in line with the Obama administration’s recommendation for next year.

It’s likely that each chamber’s pay raise number will remain intact as the bills wind through the House and Senate. That means lawmakers will have to reach consensus during conference committee on how much of a raise to give members of the military in 2014.

As for a civilian pay raise in 2014, it’s still possible. So far none of the spending bills have ruled it out and President Obama has proposed a 1 percent raise, but it’s only June.

Additionally, both the House and Senate ...