Pay

• Obama executive order makes 1% pay raise for feds a reality

  President Barack Obama issued an executive order Monday approving the 1 percent pay raise for federal employees effective Jan. 1, 2014. This ends the three-year federal pay freeze.

  Budget

  December 23, 2013
• Pay gap between federal employees, private-sector workers continues to grow

  The gap in pay between federal employees and private-sector workers widened slightly this year, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the Federal Salary Council. On average, federal employees earn 35.37 percent less than their private-sector counterpart, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management and the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  Workforce

  December 17, 2013
• Report: Women still face ‘significant obstacles’ in advancing federal careers

  A new report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission identified six signficant obstacles facing women in the federal workforce, including a disparity in pay and difficulty advancing into higher-level management positions.

  Management

  December 12, 2013
• Analyzing the budget deal

  On this week's Your Turn radio show, host Mike Causey examines what's in the most recent budget deal that will impact feds.

  Mike Causey

  December 11, 2013
• OFPP’s proposed increase in contractor salary cap upsets all

  The Office of Federal Procurement Policy issued a memo to agencies setting the new benchmark for reimbursable costs at $952,308, up from $763,029 in 2011 for certain contractor employee salaries. The contractor cap has increased 55 percent over the last four years. OFPP blames Congress for not acting to change the formula for calculating the annual increases.

  Management

  December 05, 2013
• January pay raise – not for everybody

  The 2014 white-collar pay raise is not for everybody. Feds at the top of their grades in some cities won't be getting anything at all, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

  Mike Causey

  December 03, 2013
• Bill would ensure blue-collar feds get 1 percent pay raise in January

  A new bill introduced this week by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) would ensure blue-collar federal employees receive the same scheduled pay increase in January as General Schedule employees. White-collar GS employees are due to get a 1 percent pay raise in January, under a plan announced in August by President Barack Obama, who has authority to set GS pay levels. However, pay raises for wage-grade or hourly employees require separate legislation. With no action by Congress, pay for these employees would remain flat.

  Congress

  November 22, 2013
• CBO: Congress could wring $300B in deficit savings from federal pay, pension changes

  A new Congressional Budget Office analysis of proposed deficit-reduction efforts contained half a dozen proposals affecting federal employees, including reducing annual pay raises, requiring federal employees to contribute more toward their pensions and reducing the size of the federal workforce through attrition. All told, such proposals would reduce federal outlays or increase revenues by $308 billion, according to CBO estimates.

  Congress

  November 15, 2013
• Counting on a bonus? Don’t count too high!

  If Charles Dickens had written about the government's bonus program he might have called his novel "Bleak House," or maybe "Not So Great Expectations," Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

  Mike Causey

  November 08, 2013
• OMB, OPM tell agencies to take different approach on employee bonuses

  The Obama administration trying a different tack on federal-employee bonuses and awards in fiscal 2014. A new directive from the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management continues clear-cut spending caps on employee awards but won't outright ban them -- even if the across-the-board spending constraints, known as sequestration, continue.

  Management

  November 04, 2013
• How to prepare for the next government shutdown

  Financial planner Arthur Stein will discuss what you can do to protect your assets in the event of another government shutdown, and Sean Reilly will talk about the possibility of another shutdown, and what's ahead for feds. October 23, 2013

  Mike Causey

  October 23, 2013
• Pentagon says shutdown wasted at least $600 million

  A tally totaling the costs of the government shutdown on the Defense Department only includes lost work-hours from civilian furloughs, not additional government costs from interest payments, contract delays or other impacts from the shutdown. AFGE and NTEU are asking agencies to speed up back pay to federal workers.

  Congress

  October 18, 2013
• Government shutdown, chained COLA, and more

  NARFE's Jessica Klement and Federal Times senior writer Sean Reilly will talk about the government shutdown and its impact. October 16, 2013

  Mike Causey

  October 16, 2013
• House passes bill to pay ‘essential’ feds on time if shutdown continues

  The House voted unanimously late Tuesday to pass the Federal Worker Pay Fairness Act. The bill, introduced by Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) Tuesday afternoon, ensures "essential" federal employees, who are working through the shutdown, are paid on time even if the government remains closed.

  Congress

  October 08, 2013