News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

SECTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:

20th Annual May Training Program

The 20th annual May Training Program will be held at the Arlington [Texas] Convention Center from 8:00am to 4:00pm on Tuesday, May 13th and Wednesday, May 14, 1997. The two-day training program consists of 13 professional speakers who will present 20 different workshops on a wide variety of topics such as motivation, organizational improvement, successful writing, sexual harrassment, communication strategies, career advancement, and many more. Some workshop titles include:

• How to Manage Projects, Priorities, and Deadlines;
  
• Communicate With Clarity, Confidence, andCreditability;
  
• Technology Never Stands Still.. Neither Should Your Career;
  
• Leapfrogging Roadblocks to Organizational Harmony;
  

Conference costs are $45 per day. The registration deadline is April 11,1997. For questions, please call Cheryl Moore, FWPC President, at 817-847-3898.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) Seminar

This two-day seminar scheduled for May 1 and 2 at OPM [in Washington, DC], is designed to help Employee Assistance Program counselors and other mental health professionals in developing and managing a CISD team. The seminar prepares participants to provide a variety of crisis services for distressed employees after a traumatic event occurs at work. For more information call Sheila Rozier at (202) 606-1269.

Third Annual Performance Management Conference

May 13-14, 1997, in McLean, VA, at the McLean Hilton Hotel. This conference is designed to provide practical, cutting-edge information on a wide variety of topics related to performance appraisals and awards. To receive a brochure, call (202) 606-2720, or fax a request to (202) 606-2395. For additional conference information, call Digna Carballosa at (202) 606-1778 or E-Mail dmcarbal@opm.gov.

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.

THE FEDERAL DIARY--Numerous agencies on track for "early-out" retirement. "Departure must be before September 30. Workers must be at least age 50 with 20 years of federal service, or any age with 25 years to be eligible. Also, it is completely up to your agency" (The Washington Post, Sunday)...Statistics show decrease in lower grade levels, but an increase in higher grades (The Washington Post, Monday).

THE FEDERAL TIMES--All federal employees and military members will be switched to direct deposit for paychecks, travel reimbursements and retirement annuities within the next 20 months...Hispanic leaders rap President Clinton on hiring . . . An employee mistakenly placed in the wrong retirement system is not entitled to a refund of retirement contributions that should have been paid into the Social Security fund, an appeals court has ruled (The Federal Times, April 7).

SPEAKING UP--Some tips on handling sensitive situations with the boss while keeping your own career intact (The New York Times).

EMPLOYEE RIGHTS--The National Employee Rights Institute has a publication that spells out the steps fired workers should take and the protections the law provides (The Washington Post).

OF INTEREST--How to handle complaints about sexual harassment (The Wall Street Journal)...How to stop an avalanche of E-mail (The Washington Post)...Without pensions or savings many elderly are lining up for jobs that many others won't take (The Wall Street Journal).