Laptops & Locality Pay
Locality pay exists because some areas have significantly different costs of living from others. Before telework, this was not a complicated issue.
Comprehensive Paid Leave for Feds
The past year has featured a significant expansion of paid leave for federal employees. Among these new benefits is an additional 15 weeks of emergency paid sick leave for feds who require time off due to either showing symptoms of Covid-19, or in order to take care of a family member who is suffering from Covid-19. Another expansion of paid leave from the past year is the extension of 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all feds with a newborn, newly adopted, or newly fostered child. Now, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) is making efforts to expand on this paid leave program.
Feds Deserve Due Process
On paper, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is an independent, quasi-judicial Federal agency that exists to hear appeals from federal employees who are subjected to adverse actions by their agency; for example, a whistleblower who was subjected to a suspension or demotion as a result of their actions would appeal their case to the MSPB.
Celebrating FMA Manager of the Year Kimberly Price
The Federal Managers Association has recognized Kimberly Price, President of FMA Chapter 191, Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), as FMA’s Manager of the Year – an award that she richly deserves.
Advocating Excellence and Investing in Management
The Federal Managers Association’s primary objectives are to advocate excellence in public service through effective management and professionalism, and to actively represent our members’ interests and concerns.
Preserving Competence in the Civil Service
If one wanted to cripple the leadership and efficiency of the civil service, it would be difficult to design a more efficient way to do it than the creation of Schedule F. Not only would the result of Schedule F have been a routine, mass firing every four to eight years of the upper echelons of the bureaucracy that enables the government to function, but it also would have created an incredible incentive for competent feds who would make excellent leaders to do everything in their power to avoid promotion to the level where their talents could be best used.
Be Fiscally Responsible – Pay Feds a Market Wage to End Expensive Turnover
The Federal Managers Association believes in good government and fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, the way federal workers are currently paid is the opposite of fiscally responsible.
Groundhog Day was Fun – Washington’s Sequels Are Terrible and Need to End
As the clock once again ticks ever closer to another fiscal year cliff – the expiration of the latest continuing resolution (CR) on December 11, and the potential government shutdown it would bring – we are reminded of the movie Groundhog Day.
Dedicated Service to America for a Century
Established in 1913, the Federal Managers Association (FMA) advocates for excellence in public service through effective management and professionalism, as well as the active representation of its members interests and concerns. FMA advances its mission through consultation with the Executive Branch and advocacy in Congress, top-notch professional development programs, informative publications and networking opportunities for its members.
Politicizing the Civil Service is a Disturbingly Bad Idea: FMA Responds to Executive Order
As most feds are now aware, President Trump recently signed an executive order to create a Schedule F in the Excepted Service, a new class of career “confidential, policy-determining, or policy-advocating” positions. Concerning to FMA, this move strips civil service protections from a huge, as yet-untold number of federal workers.
Regular Disorder
A phrase that gets thrown around a lot in Congress is “regular order.” Typically, this phrase is used in a context like “regrettably, it has been impossible to pass appropriations through regular order for many years.”
Advocating for Feds to Keep Their Earned Leave
Much of what we do here at the Federal Managers Association comes down to trying to get a square deal for feds. We recognize that federal managers do critical work on behalf of the country, and that without them and the work they do, the country would not function as well as it does. From disaster response to building transportation infrastructure to protecting our national security, feds do the hard work of keeping our country safe, prosperous, and strong.
A Fair Pay Raise for Feds in 2021
One of FMA’s primary objectives each year is to provide a fair pay raise for federal employees that reflects their selfless contributions to their fellow Americans.
Advocating for Managers in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act
One of the most critical bills the Federal Managers Association advocates on every year is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). First passed in 1961 – and consistently passed every year since – the NDAA is indispensable legislation that authorizes funding levels for the Department of Defense (DOD) and sets policies.
Federal Frontline Workers’ Leave Flexibility is Vital to Government Operations
Last month we made a point to touch on some of the uplifting stories that have emerged as federal managers work to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This month, we want to take a look at some of the efforts we are working on to protect managers and all federal employees.
Federal Managers Answer the Call of Public Service in that Hour of Our Nation’s Need
Last week, Government Executive reported more than 10,000 federal employees have contracted Covid-19. This news came as overall confirmed positive cases in the United States passed one million. FMA members are doing their part to help stop the spread, while finding and creating ways to accomplish their missions and provide the vital services on which the American people rely.
Recognizing Ken Westlake, FMA’s Manager of the Year
On Monday, March 30, the Federal Managers Association (FMA) formally announced Mr. Kenneth A. Westlake as the winner of FMA’s Manager of the Year award. This award is presented annually to an outstanding manager or supervisor in the federal government who is a member of FMA. Nominees are scored based on workplace accomplishments and contributions, local community accomplishments, and FMA involvement at the chapter, regional, or national level.
FMA and the Power of Advocacy
The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is hosting its annual national convention and management training seminar in Alexandria, Virginia, March 29 through April 1. The centerpiece of the event is the “Day on the Hill,” when FMA members will meet with members of Congress and their staffs to discuss issues important to their installation, their agency, and to FMA.