Pay & Benefits
The federal leave options employees can use when annual and sick time run out
From unpaid leave to parental and military leave, federal workers have multiple options for time off under specific circumstances.
Pay & Benefits
House panel advances bill to update federal worker buyout caps
Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments offered to federal workers during agency downsizings, have been capped at $25,000 since the 1990s. Newly advanced legislation would tie maximum payouts to half of an employee’s annual salary.
Pay & Benefits
OPM expands job roles receiving 3.8% law enforcement pay raise
OPM Director Scott Kupor designated more job roles eligible for the special pay rate created for federal law enforcement.
Pay & Benefits
Congress guarantees furloughed feds’ back pay despite continued White House maneuvering
The Office of Personnel Management removed citations of the 2019 Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act from its shutdown guidance last month, as the Trump administration continues to insist that the law guaranteeing all federal employees back pay after a shutdown doesn’t.
Pay & Benefits
TSP investments begin 2026 in the black
Each of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program gained value in January.
Pay & Benefits
Federal retirees face new COLAs, premiums and earnings limits in 2026
Annual adjustments to retirement benefits, FEHB costs, Social Security rules and TSP limits are now taking effect.
Updated
Pay & Benefits
How federal employees can protect a spouse in retirement
To better understand their potential benefits and financial risks in retirement, both spouses should be aware of some benefits planning realities.
Pay & Benefits
Could this be true?
An influx of federal retirees due to the Deferred Resignation Program and other separation programs has led to a litany of new questions on how to receive retirement benefits.
Pay & Benefits
Defense Department set to issue new civilian employee awards by end of the month
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December directed department components to designate awards of up to $25,000 in an effort to “retain, reward, and recognize” the top 15% of civilian employees in each agency.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers propose 35% pay raise for federal prison workers
Bipartisan legislation would establish a special pay rate for employees at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons until the agency reduces its reliance on mandatory overtime and augmentation of support staff’s duties.
Pay & Benefits
How federal retirement benefits are calculated and where estimates go wrong
High-three pay, length of service and overlooked reductions can significantly change retirement payouts.
Pay & Benefits
Signals of a slowdown: What federal employees should do with their TSP right now
If the U.S. is headed for a recession, federal employees need not panic about their investments, but instead strategically assess what their financial goals are.
Pay & Benefits
Congressional appropriators won’t codify Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care for feds after all
Compromise minibus appropriations legislation unveiled Sunday removes a provision that would have affirmed the Trump administration’s removal of gender-affirming care from federal workers’ health insurance in statute.
Pay & Benefits
OPM inspector general flags top management challenges for fiscal 2026
The latest report highlights staffing reductions, rising retirement claims and ongoing customer service and improper payment concerns.
Pay & Benefits
OPM finalizes 3.8% raise for federal law enforcement
The additional 2.8% pay increase set aside for law enforcement personnel takes the form of a special pay rate.
Pay & Benefits
FEHB and Medicare Part B: Do FEHB plans reduce coverage if you don't sign up for Medicare?
Making decisions on whether to enroll in Medicare for many federal retirees could depend on how it interacts with existing health insurance coverage.
Pay & Benefits
Domestic TSP funds falter to close out 2025
Most portfolios within the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program were flat last month.
Pay & Benefits
Feds will have Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 off
Federal employees will now have a five-day weekend, beginning on Christmas Eve.
Pay & Benefits
Trump finalizes 1% pay raise for most feds
The president also tasked OPM Director Scott Kupor with analyzing whether to provide federal law enforcement officers with a 3.8% pay increase, in line with what military service members are set to receive next month.
Pay & Benefits