Posted in the 4/17/2012 edition of FedSmith, Ian Smith shared the Senate’s Budget Committee’s plan. Speaking on the plan, the committee chairman said he would “begin a Budget Committee markup of a long-term budget for the nation. As my Chairman’s Mark, I will lay down the bipartisan Fiscal Commission plan, also known as the Bowles-SimpsonRead… Read more »
Bob Gibson posted an article in the April 16, 2012 edition of FedSmith saying that the best way for employers to prevail if challenged by an MSPB Hearing is to set up Firing Squads. Believe it or not, this is pretty good advice, folks. I’ve seen it in action and it works, provided the organizationRead… Read more »
“This place is a hell hole. If I had a car today I would up and quit.” This was a real Facebook post, though not too uncommon, and shared by a social network “friend” with their mutual employer! Facebook “snitching”, as it’s been coined, has prompted a lot of discussion among HR professionals who areRead… Read more »
RedStarResume produced a list of Power Words they claim “will increase your chances of getting hired by 80%!” While I can’t attest to this claim, their list is full of action verbs that help writers paint an excellent verbal picture of their work experience; this makes it a LOT easier for those who read resumesRead… Read more »
A GovExec article published April 4th, announced a set of “new financial disclosure requirements” enacted to prevent insider trading by members of Congress and top executive branch officials. According to the STOCK Act, each Member of Congress or employee of Congress owes a duty to the Congress, the United States Government, and the citizens ofRead… Read more »
(humor courtesy of the Kansas Kit Kar Klub newsletter) Have you ever seen (or wanted to write) one of these Top 10 comments in a performance review? #10. “I would not permit this employee to breed.” # 9. “Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled.” # 8. “When she opens her mouth,Read… Read more »
A government-wide emphasis on passing along knowledge from one generation of federal workers to the next was underscored last week when the Senate passed legislation that includes a plan for Feds to work part time while mentoring newer hires and easing into retirement. Even OPM Chief John Berry was mentored early in his career andRead… Read more »
Tom Shoop, Vice president and Editor in Chief at Gov Exec Media Group, writes that they are big on telework because the nature of their business, as reporters, requires them to be out and about attending events and conducting interviews, so even in the pre-Internet age, the editors who managed them had to get comfortableRead… Read more »
Yesterday a colleague shared performance and training data with me that truly illustrates just how ill-prepared we are for Workforce 2020. Here are a few realities from that data: Thanks to tight budgets and retirement incentives, the Feds have lost a vast amount of seasoned talent over the past 5 years. Although we have doneRead… Read more »
Buried in the Senate Highway Bill (Amendment #1826 to S.1813) is a sneak attempt to extend the Pay Freeze imposed on Federal employees for yet another year! Surprised? According to it’s author, Senator Pat Roberts, “This amendment includes a special deficit reduction trust fund … <that> would contain the savings from the energy production incentives,Read… Read more »