Pay and Benefits | Federal Times

OPM’s retirement application backlog falls to lowest point all year

Meanwhile, the agency has been working on a multiyear effort to modernize its retirement system.

11 hours ago

Officers whose nominations were blocked in Senate could get back pay

A Senate proposal would award retroactive pay and benefits to senior leaders who waited months for confirmation due to a political standoff.

13 hours ago

Congress

Defense bill drops disputed abortion provisions in final compromise

The annual defense authorization bill contains a 5.2% pay raise for troops and a host of other policy renewals needed for military operations.

Do federal employees get Christmas Day off of work?

Christmas and New Year's Eve are on a Sunday this year. What does that mean for feds?

3 days ago

When is the federal Thrift Savings Plan ‘closed’ for the holidays?

Here are dates and deadlines to know if you plan to take any withdrawals in the coming weeks.

4 days ago

VA workers face more mandatory overtime amid record claims processing

The backlog of overdue disability claims is expected to keep rising over the next year.

9 days ago

VA again found homes for 38K struggling vets in 2023

Department outreach efforts have helped nearly 80,000 veterans since the start of 2022.

10 days ago

VA delays disputed change in how it pays for veterans’ ambulance trips

New rules were set to go into effect next February but will now be delayed until 2025.

11 days ago

Federal employees say ‘Bah! Humbug!’ to vacation as burnout increases

More than a quarter of government employees say they haven’t taken a vacation in the past year.

12 days ago

What’s driving rate hikes for federal employee health premiums?

Federal employees, retirees and service members who get health insurance from the federal government will see premiums jump on Jan. 1.

2 weeks ago

Transgender vets threaten to sue VA over delay in surgery options

VA officials announced plans to provide gender conforming surgeries more than two years ago, but have not moved ahead on the promise.

3 weeks ago

A procrastinator’s checklist for choosing open season benefits

Don’t let the Dec. 11 deadline pass you by. Benefits experts told Federal Times that even if you’re happy with your current plan, it likely will change.

3 weeks ago

Error-ridden applications delay payment for federal retirees

OPM has been on the hook for some years now to address backlogs of retirement claims.

3 weeks ago

Paying relocation, recruitment bonus to federal workers may get easier

If approved, employees working in-demand jobs, like cyber or healthcare, could be eligible for pay boosts of up to 50% of their salary.

3 weeks ago

Is Thanksgiving a federal holiday? What about Black Friday?

The day after Thanksgiving Day has come to be known as “Black Friday,” the unofficial first day of holiday shopping in the U.S.

3 weeks ago

New locality rates to boost pay for thousands of federal workers

The public-private sector pay gap has widened to 27%, up from 24% last year.

3 weeks ago

If government shuts down, when will federal workers get paid?

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., proposed a solution that would avoid a total shutdown by funding some agencies through Jan. 19 and others Feb. 2.

3 weeks ago

Vets tap businesses for VA disability claims help, but there’s a cost

Thousands of veterans work with for-profit firms to apply for disability benefits. Veterans advocates call the practice predatory and possibly illegal.

4 weeks ago

Here’s your guide to federal health benefits as open enrollment begins

From new benefits for Medicare beneficiaries to navigating premium increases, your guide to 2024 federal health insurance.

4 weeks ago

Pay & Benefits

Keep up with the latest changes to federal pay and benefits coming from Congress and the administration.

Meanwhile, the agency has been working on a multiyear effort to modernize its retirement system.

A Senate proposal would award retroactive pay and benefits to senior leaders who waited months for confirmation due to a political standoff.

The annual defense authorization bill contains a 5.2% pay raise for troops and a host of other policy renewals needed for military operations.

Christmas and New Year's Eve are on a Sunday this year. What does that mean for feds?

Here are dates and deadlines to know if you plan to take any withdrawals in the coming weeks.

The backlog of overdue disability claims is expected to keep rising over the next year.

Department outreach efforts have helped nearly 80,000 veterans since the start of 2022.

New rules were set to go into effect next February but will now be delayed until 2025.

More than a quarter of government employees say they haven’t taken a vacation in the past year.

Federal employees, retirees and service members who get health insurance from the federal government will see premiums jump on Jan. 1.

VA officials announced plans to provide gender conforming surgeries more than two years ago, but have not moved ahead on the promise.

Don’t let the Dec. 11 deadline pass you by. Benefits experts told Federal Times that even if you’re happy with your current plan, it likely will change.

OPM has been on the hook for some years now to address backlogs of retirement claims.

If approved, employees working in-demand jobs, like cyber or healthcare, could be eligible for pay boosts of up to 50% of their salary.

The day after Thanksgiving Day has come to be known as “Black Friday,” the unofficial first day of holiday shopping in the U.S.

The public-private sector pay gap has widened to 27%, up from 24% last year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., proposed a solution that would avoid a total shutdown by funding some agencies through Jan. 19 and others Feb. 2.

Thousands of veterans work with for-profit firms to apply for disability benefits. Veterans advocates call the practice predatory and possibly illegal.

From new benefits for Medicare beneficiaries to navigating premium increases, your guide to 2024 federal health insurance.