Pay
Bill would impose five-year ban on VA executive bonuses
The House unanimously approved a bill that would ban performance bonuses for five years for Senior Executive Service employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Benefits
Bill seeks to improve veterans benefits
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs last month laid out details on comprehensive legislation he has introduced that would reform and improve the nation's veterans benefits programs.
Benefits
Postal unions pan revised reform bill
The unions that represent rank-and-file postal employees urged members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to reject an amended version of a postal reform bill when it comes up for consideration by the committee this week.
Financial Planning
Special Feature: Informed Investor celebrates 500th column
This week, FEND published the 500th installment of Edward A. Zurndorfer's Informed Investor column. Since 2004, Informed Investor has been educating FEND readers on a wide range of subjects related to federal employee benefits and financial planning. On this anniversary, we took the opportunity to ask Ed some questions about himself and about the changes he's observed in the federal workplace over the past 10 years.
Employee Policy
Bill would improve wide range of veterans benefits
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs this week offered details on sweeping legislation he has introduced that would reform and improve the nation's veterans benefits programs.
Pay & Benefits
No Christmas Eve Off for Federal Employees
Obama administration decides to keep government open on Tuesday.
Pay & Benefits
Will Feds Get Christmas Eve Off?
The holiday falls on a Wednesday this year, decreasing the likelihood of extra vacation.
Benefits
Open Season: Last chance to review for 2014 plan year
Employees who have not yet reviewed their FEHB coverage for the new year may want to look through the following quick summary of some of the things they should consider in making their decisions, based on recommendations from the Office of Personnel Management.
Benefits
Open Season: FSAs, HSAs and Health Reimbursement Arrangements
An important decision that employees have to make during the 2013 federal benefits “open season” is whether they want to enroll, or reenroll, in a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) and a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) for the 2014 plan year.
Benefits
Open Season: Selecting an FEHB plan: Don't focus solely on premiums—Part II
This second of two columns explaining medical, dental and vision insurance choices for employees discusses point-of-service (POS) plans, consumer driven health plans (CDHP) and high deductible health plans (HDHP).
Benefits
Open Season: Selecting an FEHB plan—Don't focus solely on premiums: Part I
Rising health insurance premiums are a reality for most individuals today and the FEHB program is no different. FEHB premiums will increase on average by 3.7 percent in 2014 over 2013 FEHB rates, slightly higher than the 2013 average increase of 3.4 percent. But when selecting a health insurance plan for 2014, employees should not focus solely on premiums as criteria for choosing the “best” FEHB plan.
Benefits
Bill would guarantee military death benefit during funding lapses
Two House lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to ensure that government shutdowns would not prevent immediate payment of military death benefits.
Benefits
Open Season: Tackling this year's decisions
It's time again for that annual ritual: Federal benefits open season. From now through early December, Federal Daily will present a series of weekly, information-packed columns to help you sort through this year's health care and health savings options.
Benefits
New OPM guidance settles shutdown questions
The Office of Personnel Management this month released new post-shutdown guidance to agencies to help them resolve remaining pay and benefits questions in the wake of the government shutdown.
Benefits
DOL says feds must return unemployment compensation
The Department of Labor has issued guidance requiring states to recoup unemployment compensation they paid to furloughed federal employees during the 16-day government shutdown earlier this month.
Benefits
FMLA to cover feds with same-sex spouses
The Office of Personnel Management directed agency and department heads to make policy changes that will allow federal employees to use Family and Medical Leave Act leave to care for same-sex spouses.
Pay
OPM issues post-shutdown guidance on pay and benefits
The Office of Personnel Management in released new guidance to agencies to help them resolve pay and benefits questions in the wake of the government shutdown.
Benefits
Informed Investor: What is an 'insurable interest' for life insurance or survivor annuity purposes?
A life insurance company allows an “insurable interest” to be named as a life insurance policy beneficiary. The Office of Personnel Management also permits an insurable interest to be named as a CSRS or FERS survivor annuitant. This week’s column discusses who is a legitimate insurable interest for life insurance beneficiary and survivor annuity purposes.
Benefits
Pitfalls lurk in postal health proposal
A bill that would remove postal workers from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program could offer advantages as well as pose disadvantages, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
Benefits