When it comes to the perils of sequestration, it appears that federal workers are all over the place, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Some say it's just another political fire drill, while others say this time for sure. Been-there-done-that workers say this too shall pass. But paycheck to paycheck people say furloughs could wreck their financial lives. So, where are you in all this?
Russ Pittman, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's chief information officer and director of the Division of IT, said he asked for a technology budget that is eight percent less in 2013 because the agency completed several large scale projects. April 4, 2013
The Office of Management and Budget has directed agencies to take full advantage of the funding flexibilities they have under law as they implement across-the-board sequestration cuts, that went into effect March 1. In an April 4 memo, OMB Controller Danny Werfel also directed agency and department leaders to be mindful of certain types of performance awards and to work with agency inspectors general before making cuts to IG offices.
In his first policy speech, new Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel praised the military, but acknowledged DoD has grown older and more expensive in almost every way. While not a tacit acceptance of the automatic budget cuts imposed by sequestration, Hagel acknowledged it was time for the military to reassess how it can operate in the new budgetary environment where there will be fewer dollars available.
Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund Executive Director Steve Bauer, and Sean Reilly from the Federal Times, will discuss furloughs, and their impact on feds. April 3, 2013
Your stress level about the possibility of being furloughed probably depends on where you work, your length-of-service and how much cash you have in reserve for a rainy day. For long-time, comfortable feds, this is just a speed bump in the road, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. But for thousands of paycheck-to-paycheck employees, this is not a drill...
Remember the bad old days before political correctness mandated us to be better. It was a time when mother-in-law jokes were told and tolerated. Well, gone are the days. Now, at least in government circles, the old bad-news-good-news examples focus on sequestration and furloughs, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
The former chief knowledge officer declined to say what his next move would be, but he does not plan to retire.
Lisa Dezzutti, CEO of Market Connections, joins host Mark Amtower, to discuss how to generate business for your company when budgets are tight. April 1, 2013
In a reversal of course, U.S. Customs and Border Protection now says it is postponing employee furloughs and will continue to authorize overtime pay. The agency said it is "reevaluating" both the planned furloughs of its 60,000 employees and the elimination of administratively uncontrollable overtime, or AUO, because of new funding granted in the 2013 appropriations bill Congress passed last month.
DoD says it's committed to making sure civilians are not furloughed in fiscal 2014, which begins in October. But if sequestration remains in place, the alternative would almost certainly be involuntary reductions in force for both civilian workers and uniformed service members, officials say.
Evan Lesser, founder and director for ClearanceJobs.com, will discuss the state of hiring in the clear community, and how its being impacted by sequestration. March 29, 2013
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has written to Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry, saying the office should take steps to offload federal workers and contractors who don't show up for work, aren't performing official duties or "are simply not working at all." In the letter, Coburn, the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said doing so could prevent the need to furlough critical employees under sequestration.
Furlough notices will now be sent to employees in early May. Actual furloughs will begin in mid-to-late June, placing most Defense civilians on unpaid leave roughly one day per week for the final seven pay periods of the fiscal year.
Remember the best seller, "I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It," by basketball great Charles Barkley. Maybe he should do a sequel, starting with the government, sequestration and furloughs, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.