The Office of Personnel Management received fewer retirement claims in November than in any month since February this year, according to new data from the agency. But this is likely just the calm before the storm, according to OPM projections, which anticipate a wave of retirement claims in January.
The Office of Personnel Management wants to ensure the confusion over the status of federal offices during Hurricane Sandy is not repeated for future natural or man-made events. OPM officially released the new language Tuesday and updated its dismissal and closure procedures by incorporating the lessons learned from last month's superstorm and last January's ice storm. The language tries to simplify and clarify what federal employees should during natural or man-made disasters. OPM also wants agencies to refocus their efforts on telework so as many employees are able to work during an emergency as possible.
Federal employee satisfaction on nearly every measure dropped this year, according to the 2012 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Complaints about federal pay mostly fueled feds' declining morale. But former federal human-capital officials also pointed to the role of senior agency leaders.
As with overall federal-employee satisfaction scores, the Human Capital Assessment and Accountability Framework Index trended downward in 2012. Habitual high-scorers, such as NASA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, continued to sit atop the list. But the report also singled out the Office of Management and Budget and for its notable improvements.
Employee satisfaction across the federal government is sagging, according to the 2012 Employee Viewpoint Survey released by the Office of Personnel Management Wednesday. While there weren't any drastic drops, scores governmentwide were down in every major measure, including employees' satisfaction with their jobs, supervisors and pay.
Budget constraints are top of mind for agency chief human capital officers. And with good reason. CHCOs say they are feeling the effects of the budget crunch, particularly in recruiting, retaining and training employees, according to a Federal News Radio survey. Eugene Hubbard, head of the National Science Foundation's Office of Information and Resource Management, told Federal News Radio the budget squeeze and shrinking workforces mean agency employees are doing more with less to keep pace with the mission.
The Federal Salary Council will submit to the Federal Pay Agent in the coming weeks a recommendation to increase the number of localities that get special pay rates. OPM also will release the annual report on how much time federal employees spend on union activities during working hours. CHCO Council will also consider certification process for HR employees.
The Office of Personnel Management is changing how it refers to the operating status of the government. Now when federal offices are closed due to weather or other emergencies, OPM will use the terminology, "Federal offices are closed. Federal employees required to work should follow their agency's policies."
For the fourth straight month, the number of federal employees filing for retirement has outstripped the Office of Personnel Management's expectations, according to new data released by the agency. OPM also beat its projections for processing retirement claims.
Most federal buildings have reopened after the Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast.
Federal agencies in the Washington, D.C., area are open Thursday and operating under normal procedures, the Office of Personnel Management announced.
Federal agencies in the Washington, D.C., area reopened Wednesday with unscheduled leave and telework options available to employees, the Office of Personnel Management announced. Before OPM made the announcement, several agencies contacted by Federal News Radio detailed only minor impacts from the storm and said they would be ready to open if OPM made that decision.
D.C.-area federal government offices are closed for the second consecutive day due to superstorm Sandy. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Radio before the storm hit, OPM Director John Berry called Sandy a "significant life-threatening event." He urged feds to stay inside and stay "hunkered down." There is no word yet on the federal government's operating status on Wednesday.
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Federal government offices in the Washington, D.C. area will be closed to the public Monday. Non- emergency employees will be granted excused absence (administrative leave). However there are some exceptions.