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. Complete conference details are available at http://r6ser1.r06.epa.gov:8000/dfwfeb/calfwp.htm. 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--"Belief in the imminent landing of giant, massively expensive retirement cream puff persists despite all evidence to the contrary." There is no evidence that any legislative plan exists to fulfill "individual retirement dreams" (The Washington Post).

COMPUTER DATE--"State and local governments in the Washington area say they will have to spend at least $200 million to make sure computer systems that handle everything from dispatching ambulances to sending out water bills will not grind to a halt in 2000" (The Washington Post).

THE FEDERAL TIMES--Employee unions went before a key congressional panel on April 8 to argue for higher pay raises than the administration has proposed....Congress is unlikely to unveil their budget proposals by April 15, the statutory deadline....Plan now for upcoming Thrift open season....The reality of contracting out is deciding what the federal government really ought to be doing and what it can leave to others (The Federal Times, April 21).

OF INTEREST--What are the risks you face when you sue your employer? (The Wall Street Journal, Managing Your Career)....Some employees yearning for meaning and fulfillment in their jobs are making changes (The Washington Post)...The American Management Association said it is taking longer to fill professional and technical jobs (The Wall Street Journal, Work Week).