October 15, 2012

The Federal Managers Association’s (FMA) Region 4 held its annual conference on October 6 in San Diego, California to discuss best practices at chapters within the region and issues that managers are facing at their agencies, as well as concerns affecting federal employees nationally. FMA Region 4 Director Leonard Lew organized the event, and it was hosted by FMA Chapter 143, U.S. Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton.

Representative Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, recently released a report detailing the consequences and impact the across-the-board budget cuts of sequestration to take effect in January. Mr. Dicks, who is retiring after serving eighteen terms in the House of Representatives, noted that sequestration “is not so much a back-up plan as an inducement for all sides to reach a compromise.” His purpose for the report was to “help make the case for Congress to act responsibly by agreeing to a more sensible approach to deficit reduction.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report bringing attention to overspending and a lack of oversight regarding two human resources conferences in Orlando, Florida, in the summer of 2011. The report found that planners allowed for $762,000 in unauthorized spending. In the wake of the report, Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration for VA, John Sepulveda resigned. The report found, “VA’s processes and the oversight were too weak, ineffective, and in some instances, nonexistent to ensure that conference costs identified were accurate, appropriate, necessary, and reasonably priced. Accountability and controls were inadequate to ensure effective management and reporting of the dollars spent.”

Following the passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (S. 743) in the House of Representatives, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Policy Directive (PPD-19) on October 10, calling for the extension of whistleblower protection for federal employees in national security and intelligence. In S. 743, federal employees’ rights were expanded in order to protect those who come out against government waste, fraud, and abuse. PPD-19 provides protection from retaliation to those who work in the intelligence community.

As required by 5 U.S.C., the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) issued a report entitled, “Employee Perceptions of Federal Workplace Violence.” The report analyzed data from a 2010 MSPB survey, questioning federal employees on their perceptions of violence in their work environment. The survey found that thirteen percent of federal workers witnessed violence in the workplace between 2009 and 2010. In her opening letter to the President and leaders of the House and Senate, MSPB Chairman Susan Tsui Grundmann stated, “Workplace violence can result in a number of direct costs to organizations and can affect employee productivity and morale, which violates the merit system principle of the efficient and effective use of the federal workforce.”

The Social Security Administration (SSA) informed employees field office hours will once again be shortened. Beginning on November 19, SSA field offices will close to customers thirty minutes earlier, shutting doors at 3:00 p.m. In January, office hours will be further reduced when field offices will close at 12:30 p.m. every Wednesday. This marks an 18 percent reduction in hours.

Nearly 12,000 federal employees submitted retirement claims in September, marking a thirty-three percent increase from August and the highest number of retirement claims submitted since January. This number is also forty-one percent higher than the 7,000 claims the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) projected for September. Overall, 86,676 federal employees applied for retirement since January 2012.

At 3:30 a.m. on October 9, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) physicist David Wineland was informed he won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in quantum mechanics. Dr. Wineland shares this award with French physicist Serge Haroche, who works seperately in the same field. 

Federal Managers Association's (FMA) final fall regional conference is quickly approaching! FMA Region 2 will hold its conference October 19-20 in Pine Knolls Shore, North Carolina, at the Hampton Inn and Suites Atlantic Beach. If you have any questions, please contact Region 2 Director Dora Quinlan at dorafma@gmail.com.

Take part in the Telework in Government conference to boost employee productivity! From November 6-9 in Washington, D.C., the conference will cover key issues such as:

• Best training practices to ensure employees are fully using telework technology;
• Establishing responsibilities between employees and managers so there is no loss of services;
• Moving from pilot programs to agency-wide programs fluidly; and,
• Understanding telework costs and savings. 

Human Capital Management Federal (HCMF) will be holding its annual conference from November 28-30 in Arlington, Virginia to discuss HR strategies, best practices, and ideas for recruitment and retention. The 2012 conference will include the topics of strategic planning, employee engagement, implementing telework, and workforce development. Presenters at the event include National Science Foundation Chief Human Capital Officer Eugene Hubbard, Internal Revenue Services Human Capital Officer David Krieg, and Department of Defense (DOD) Under Secretary of Defense Personnel and Readiness and Chief of Staff Pat Tamburrino. For more information and to register, please visit the HCMF website, www.hcmfederal.com. Federal Managers Association (FMA) members receive a $200 discount!

The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is proud to announce the 75th annual National Convention and Management Training Seminar, A Century of Dedicated Service to America, will take place March 3-6, 2013. The event will be held at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in the heart of Washington, D.C., and will honor FMA’s 100 years of dedicated service to America with a special Anniversary Gala on March 6.

Did you know that the Federal Managers Association (FMA) has a Facebook page? Check us out at www.facebook.com/fedmanagers! This is a great way to stay up to date with FMA events and publications. We also have photo galleries from past national conventions and conferences. FMA’s Facebook page is a great opportunity to connect with other FMA members and discuss important issues. “Like” the FMA page to keep in touch!