FEDweek

The Congressional Budget Office’s latest report comparing federal employee pay and benefits against the private sector’s is likely to revive a political debate that a similar report from 2017 stirred. Federal employee unions on one side questioned the CBO’s methodology and pointed to figures from the Federal Salary Council, based on data from the Labor Department, showing federal employees behind in salary — the “pay gap” — by about 27 percent. They annually cite that figure, compiled under methods specified in federal pay law and the official word from the government, in support of substantial boosts in federal salary rates. Meanwhile, many Republicans in Congress — as well as Trump administration appointees on the Salary Council during that administration — used the report to argue against the pay law’s formula and to argue that federal employees are ahead overall, after taking into account the value of benefits. Unions prevented taking that into account, since they hold a majority of the seats on that council. However, those same arguments became part of Trump administration justifications for its proposals to lessen the value of benefits — in particular health insurance and retirement — and have continued since, for example being repeated in a recent budgetary proposal from House Republicans. The latest CBO report did not specifically mention those disputes but it did caution that “Differences in average wages and average benefits are not the only factors that are likely to affect the federal government’s ability to recruit and retain a highly qualified workforce. Most workers are willing to accept jobs that offer less in wages and benefits if they have more of the other attributes that they value. An employer who offers more of those attributes can spend less on wages and benefits and still recruit and retain a highly qualified workforce. “Workers value job security, and federal employment offers more of it than many jobs in the private sector. Conversely, a greater share of federal compensation is deferred until retirement, which many workers find less valuable than wages. And allowing employees to work from home can boost recruitment and retention,” it said. https://lnkd.in/eDRudMkB

1.    You need to have SES qualifications; this means having specific accomplishments to document your leadership experience in each of the ECQs and any Technical Qualifications (TQ) required. Being qualified for the SES means having done more than just your job. 2.    There is no time-in-grade (or veterans’ preference) for SES positions; that being said, the vast majority of successful SES applicants are supervisory GS-15’s or O-6’s (military). It is possible but not that common for successful candidates to be supervisory GS-14’s or O-5’s. 3.    Not every SES posting requires a full set of ECQs. It is important to read the job posting carefully; some postings only require a 5 page resume (and perhaps separate TQs) to apply. Note that you’ll need to prepare ECQs if you are selected. https://lnkd.in/etFw3hcU

In a report to Congress that likely will add further pressure to increase onsite work by federal employees and/or close or consolidate offices, a study commission has said that “the status quo of nearly empty federal buildings is not financially or politically sustainable.” “Prior to the pandemic, the federal portfolio needed significant consolidation, modernization, and improvement. To report that the pandemic has greatly intensified existing problems is an understatement,” says a report from the Public Buildings Reform Board. “The post-pandemic telework policies of the federal government have resulted in record-low utilization of the existing federal real estate portfolio. As a result, sharp declines in demand for federal office space and rising costs have pushed unnecessary spending to unprecedented levels,” it says. The report follows enactment of language in a budget measure last month requiring the administration to report to Congress by late June on the average percentages of employees present in the office by agency, a description of each agency’s effort to reduce its office footprint if their average office space utilization rate is less than 60 percent ... https://lnkd.in/eFsjnYK4

For the majority of government employees, acquiring and maintaining a security clearance is a must. As a result, it is normal for many government employees to experience anxiety about their clearance, because if it is revoked or denied, they would most certainly lose their jobs. As a result, it’s critical to understand the most common concerns that could lead to you losing your security clearance, as well as what to do if you believe you’re at risk of losing it. Mathew Tully, Esq. here looks at the most common ways of losing your clearance: https://lnkd.in/eJGV8_8D

The first formal proposal for the January 2025 federal employee raise has been introduced in both the House and Senate, recommending an increase of 7.4 percent. The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act, or FAIR Act, is the latest in a series of annual bills of the same name offered in advance of the White House’s budget proposal, seeking to put a higher number for the next raise into discussion during the congressional budget cycle. https://lnkd.in/dRH76BR6

The temporary budget extension carrying funding for federal agencies—some to January 19 and others to February 2—virtually guarantees that federal employees will receive an average 5.2 percent raise in January. https://lnkd.in/gvFpkeBV

With a September 30 deadline for Congress to head off a partial government shutdown but no clear plan in place for doing so, federal employees should be aware of what would lie ahead if such a lapse should occur. https://lnkd.in/eC73NxKZ