News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

The following news summaries are from OPM AM, the daily newsletter of the Office of Personnel Management. OPM AM is available on OPM Mainstreet, the agency's electronic bulletin board, at 202-606-4800.

PARTNERSHIPS--"Labor-management partnership continues to plan an important role in the federal government's efforts to improve services and reinvent the way it conducts business, according to a report prepared for the White House and issued today by the National Partnership Council" ([OPM]Office of Communication's News Release, December 11).

THE FEDERAL DIARY--Another good year for the C-fund in the Thrift Savings Plan. During the 12-month period that ended in November, the C-fund enjoyed a 27.2 percent rate of return. (The Washington Post).

GOVERNMENT HIRING--"Government jobs have grown more than employment in manufacturing, mining, finance, insurance and real estate combined . . . .How can the government be on a hiring binge?" (The Washington Times, Commentary).

FEDERAL TIMES--OPM spells out buyout rules...What will your salary be in 1997?...The Veterans Affairs Department will offer up to 5,062 buyouts under the new buyout authority...Executives get locality pay...1997 pay charts on the Fed Times Web site...Calculation change could lower COLAs (Federal Times, December 16).

CHILDREN'S BENEFITS--OPM can now restart civil service annuity payments and continue health benefits coverage for children of deceased federal employees who previously lost those benefits because of marriage (NIH Record, December 3).

HR ISSUES--The National Partnership Council has decided that helping problem partnerships will be its main objective for the coming year...Mica to remain chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee on civil service (Federal Human Resources Week, December 2).

OF INTEREST--"Massage therapists are seizing on anxiety hubs such as Washington as their new territory." The city "boasts two street-level stores offering walk-in back rubs to the overburdened masses," especially "bureaucrats" (The Sun).