Build Your Own Bonus Holiday

Senior Correspondent Mike Causey is using his use-or-lose leave. While he’s gone, FederalNewsRadio presents the Six Most Popular Federal Reports of the Year. We continue today with the third most popular which originally appeared on December 10th. While we now know how the bonus-day issue turned out, it’s fun to see what Mike’s most popular columns were. Happy New Year! sk

Do you want to have Dec. 26th off? Would you be willing to take annual leave for that day if President Bush does not grant feds a bonus holiday on the day after Christmas?

If the answer is yes, go for it!

Walk on the wild side!

Put in for annual leave for the 26th.

If the president does not authorize a bonus holiday, you are still off the day after Christmas. If he does, you do not lose that day. You won’t be charged annual leave or sick leave for that day if the president issues an executive order making it a bonus holiday.

So what have you got to lose except, at most, one day of annual leave?

For the past several weeks (ever since we first raised the Dec. 26th issue) the rumor mill has been cranking out false reports that it was a done deal. Now many workers are complaining that in the past, when president’s okayed the 26th off, that it was announced in late November, or very early in December. Meaning the president is late, at least in their eyes.

Several pointed out that President Bush gave feds the day off on Monday December 24 last year, so what’s the holdup this year? For one thing, this year is a lot different from last year.

One suspects that the president has a number of issues to deal with. This, in the overall scheme of things, is one of the least important. In point of fact, outside of the federal community, most American workers probably aren’t tuned in to this particular issue. Times are tough, and getting tougher. (See this case in point.)

So if you get the day off as a holiday, great. If not, and you want to be guaranteed the day off, bonus holiday or not, take annual leave.

Open Season Recap

Although the FEHBP open season officially ended Dec. 8, federal workers and retirees who want to make changes in the 2009 health plan will have until the end of January to do so.

So what does it mean to you? Here’s how OPM explained it to its staff:

“You may make belated Open Season enrollment changes to your FEHB Program, Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) if FEHB benefit changes affect your enrollment decisions in these programs. You will have an extended enrollment opportunity through January 2009 to make any enrollment changes in these programs.

Also, if you make a belated Open Season change to your enrollment in these programs, the effective dates of the belated change will vary among the programs. Depending on the timing of your change and your pay periods, it may take one or more pay periods for your Federal Benefits deductions/allotments to be adjusted to match your new election. You need to know if you make a belated Open Season change and you have claims for services incurred in 2009 under your former plan, you and/or your provider may be responsible for reimbursing the former plan for any benefits paid.

Effective Dates

Belated FEHB changes will take effect the first day of the pay period that starts on or after January 1, 2009. Belated FEDVIP changes will take effect January 1, 2009. Belated FSAFEDS changes will take effect on January 1, 2009, or the day after the change is received, whichever is later. ”

Nearly Useless Factoid

There has apparently been a “long-standing mystery” about a spike in atmospheric methane levels at the start of every winter. According to New Scientist magazine, a report in the journal Nature explains that in the Arctic tundra, “the freezing of the ground squeezes the soil like a sponge so that it belches out huge amounts of the gas.” It’s nice to know we no longer have to blame the dog.

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com

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