Fedweek -

New figures from the Federal Salary Council show that the federal-private sector pay gap is 22.47 percent, slightly below the most recent prior figure of 23.11 percent in 2020. That continues a trend of decreases in each similar report from the 35.4 percent number of 2013 despite federal pay raises of only in the 1-2 percent in most of those years.

A Recently Reconstituted Advisory Panel Is Finally Making Locality Pay Recommendations

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive

The advisory council dedicated to examining issues related to federal employee compensation last week suggested measures to reform locality pay at federal agencies after years of gridlock among its members.

The Federal Salary Council also issued its annual assessment of how federal workers fare compared to private sector employees. It found that federal employees made 22.47% less on average than their private sector counterparts last year. That marks a slight decrease from the average 23.11% pay gap reported in 2020.

Tammy Flanagan, Government Executive -

The latest on this key element of the government’s retirement package.

Ten years ago, I created a Social Security quiz to test readers’ knowledge of this key benefit. I thought it was time to update some of the facts and figures included in it, in the form of a Q&A.

Eric Katz, Government Executive -

GAO issues a warning as Congress struggles to reach fiscal 2023 spending agreement.

Erich Wagner, Government Executive -

For the first time in months, all of the core offerings in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program posted gains.

Fedweek -

Pay compression is a high-priority issue for the Federal Managers Association and we commend Del. Norton for her work on this front. -

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., has said she plans to introduce a bill to provide relief from the pay caps that currently apply to employees in the upper reaches of the GS system that prevents them from receiving full annual pay increases.

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive

Officials with the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings plan said Tuesday that there is light at the end of the tunnel that is the Thrift Savings Plan’s troubled transition to a new recordkeeper.

Since June 1, when the TSP moved its recordkeeping services to a new provider, Accenture Federal Services, and updated its website to feature a more secure login process and a number of other changes and new features, participants have bemoaned difficulty setting up and logging into their accounts, finding account information and historical documents, and confirming their beneficiary choices, among other problems.

Erich Wagner, Government Executive -

A Schedule F Ban Is Among Many Workforce Provisions in the Annual Defense Policy Bill the House Just Passed.

Staff Cuts and Budget Increases Are Both on Tap for 2019

By Eric Katz, Government Executive

The Trump administration has provided federal agencies with the latitude to request up to a 5 percent funding boost in fiscal 2019, saying the White House may accommodate a “limited number” of programmatic increases in its final blueprint.

Generally, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in a memorandum to department and agency heads, agencies should keep their 2019 spending requests in line with what the White House spelled out in the fiscal 2018 budget submission. They should also, however, “identify additional investments in effective programs that further support their mission and fill a clear federal role.”