News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

SECTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:

10th Annual Federal Quality Conference

Get more information on this special conference and download a brochure and registration forms from our special conference section.

U.S. Navy International Logistics Symposium

Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton will be a guest speaker at a three-day International Logistics Symposium sponsored by the Navy International Programs Office in conjunction with the American Society of Naval Engineers, July 14-16, 1997, at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Crystal City, VA. Representatives from government, industry and foreign nations will meet to exchange ideas and review exhibits on a variety of logistics topics related to the Navy's Foreign Military Sales program. For program information contact NAVSEA (703) 602-9000.

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.

**TSP OPEN SEASON**The Thrift Savings Plan Open Season runs through July 31. During this time, you may begin contributing to the TSP, change the amount of your TSP contributions, or allocate TSP contributions to your account among the three investment funds. To get more information and download the forms you will need, click here.

FAMILY FRIENDLY LEAVE ACT--In a report to Congress released today by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, it was announced that more than 335,000 federal employees--46 percent men and 54 percent women--used sick leave in 1996 under the Family Friendly Leave Act to provide care to ailing family members, or to arrange or attend funerals (OPM Office of Communications News Release, 6/2/97).

EXEMPTIONS--OPM has issued proposed regulations to grant federal employees in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and in St. Mary's County, Maryland, a partial exemption from certain political activity restrictions of federal employees as included in the Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 (OPM Office of Communications New Release, 6/23/97).

ADOPTION--More employers are giving benefits to parents who adopt children (The Washington Times).

MILITARY JOBS--The House voted to overturn the Administration's plan to keep thousands of jobs at two large Air Force maintenance bases in Texas and California that were ordered closed two years ago (New York Times).

NO IMMUNITY--In a ruling that could hamper efforts to privatize government jobs, the Supreme Court said guards at privately run prisons do not enjoy the same legal protection as those at state-run prisons (USA TODAY).

OF INTEREST--A cottage industry blooms outlining the intricacies of the ADA, the FMLA, the Erisa and other laws for human-resource managers...and...Sears Roebuck & Co. installs mannequins outside its employee cafeteria to show workers how to comply with its five-day casual summer dress code (The Wall Street Journal, Work Week)...Make sure the firm helping you find a job isn't hindering you (The Wall Street Journal, Managing Your Career).

HEALTH--American workers would prefer getting their health care through traditional fee-for-service medicine rather than managed care, which costs them and their employers less but limits their choice of doctors and treatments, according to a workplace survey to be released today (The Washington Post, Health).

FEDERAL TIMES--The percentage of minorities in the federal workforce has increased even though the total number of employees dropped...Retirees questions what happens to their annuities if they come back into the government (Federal Times, 6/30/97)