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Federal Diary Live
With Stephen Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 10, 2002; Noon EDT
The Post's Stephen Barr is the author of The Federal Diary, which runs Sunday through Friday in the Metro section. Steve has been a reporter and editor at The Post since 1979, including stints as Federal Page editor, congressional editor and a staff writer covering the federal bureaucracy. He takes the column live to answer your questions Wednesdays at noon EDT.
Submit your questions and comments before or during today's discussion.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests
and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Stephen Barr: Thanks to all of you for joining us today. I've got no general announcements--on to the questions. Again, thanks for participating in this discussion group.
Arlington, Tex.:
What are the plans to honor the sacrifices of the civil service on Sept. 11? If any? You know it is about time the Bush administration comes to the realization that the civil service is in "harms way," too.
Stephen Barr: The Pentagon plans to unveil a memorial to mark the one-year anniversary. There also will be memorials in New York City and in Pennsylvania. Other than that, I'm not sure what preparations are being made, although I think we can expect to hear from President Bush that day.
You raise an interesting question and one that has troubled a number of federal employees who have taken the trouble to call me. These employees point out that civil service employees died in the Pentagon attack, and note that the first wartime death in Afghanistan was a CIA employee. In particular, these employees have not been pleased by the Bush budget director's remark that distinctions can be made between the military and the civil service when it comes to weighing who is in harm's way.
This is a difficult and emotional topic for many employees. I've no good answers here.
New Carrolton, Md.:
Stephen, I'm a Grade 14 with 16+ years of federal service. According to reports from the Partnership for Public Service, by 2004 53 percent of the fed workforce, and 71 percent of the 5,981 senior executives are eligible to retire. That could mean advancement opportunities in the future, but little is being done to identify, mentor and develop those who potentially could advance. Most agencies are just starting to discuss the human capital crisis in government. What are your thoughts?
Stephen Barr: I think you hit the nail on the head. There should be a sense of urgency in every agency over how to replace senior staff that retires and how to recruit from the outside to refill the pipeline.
Agencies clearly need more emphasis on career development, education and training. They also need to encourage Congress to permit phased retirement, so that people preparing to retire can serve as mentors to potential successors.
When the Clinton administration first decided to offer widespread buyouts and shrink the number of federal employees as part of "reinventing government," I remember several Cabinet secretaries going to the Hill to testify on the value of buying out workers and downsizing government. You would think the Bush administration--if it believes in a "human capital crisis"--would be sending its heavyweights to make the case to Congress. So far, all we've seen is the OPM director and the comptroller general.
Burke, Va.:
Some great columns this week, Steve. In your opinion, what is it going to take for OPM, Congress, etc., to get serious about Civil Service reform? Granted this is probably low down on the priority list after Sept. 11, but even before then, there were plenty of acknowledgements and precious few ideas on what to do about it. Meanwhile, OPM keeps trying to apply band-aids to a system that's had an artery cut. Pointing out that announcements should have POC's is all and good, but when that POC is the mail clerk or it takes phone calls to nine people in three offices over three weeks to find out who has the folder of applications, the SPIRIT of the law is clearly not being followed. Clearly what's needed is a recruiting and retention system resourced with enough bodies and funding to do the job.
Stephen Barr: Thanks for your kind words. As a reader, you know I think Sens. Voinovich-Akaka-Thompson-Durbin have some good ideas that would provide some modest improvements. But I'm not sure they call sell some of them--such as "alternative personnel systems" and increased managerial discretion--to federal unions or to House Democrats. If the Senate cannot force modest changes in the next year, then we may have to wait for a full-blown crisis to develop. And that's the worst time to make decisions, in my view.
You are right that Sept. 11 has scrambled priorities on the Hill and in the administration. But we should give the Bush team a bit of credit for stepping up to the plate: the James memo asked agencies to list a point of contact that actually knows something about the jobs being advertised and the process. She seems to implicity recognize that agencies effectively discourage outside applicants by the way they post and compete job vacancies.
I keep trying to be optimistic about this, given the number of think tanks interested in the issue--and I hope that the Paul Volcker report at year's end can provide the catalyst to get a reform effort off the ground. But we'll just have to wait and see.
Arlington, Va.:
Mr. Barr,
I am a 26-year-old college graduate temporary employee who is currently working in an agency with a labor shortage. Because of the outsourcing evaluation going on, I was told that they could not hire anyone at this time. Is this true while outsourcing is going on? What about the impending hiring crisis? Also, are there agencies offering the Federal Career Intern program? How can I find agencies participating in this program? I think it's a great recruitment idea for people such as myself, at the beginning of their careers.
Stephen Barr: Some interesting questions and observations you make. I don't know that there is a hard-and-fast rule about not hiring with conducting outsourcing studies. But I would not be surprised, since agencies only have so many budget dollars to spread around. As noted above, Sept. 11 also is having an impact--new budget money is going for defense and homeland security, and it may leave some agencies treading water for the next year. That reinforces the notion that they have to be cautious in hiring.
As for the career intern program, you probably need to match your skills against an agency where you would like to work, then check out their web pages and contact their personnel office. I think you will see agencies embrace the internship program, because it provides a handy and easy recruitment device. And if you don't work out after two years, they don't have to give you a job.
Some agencies are also developing variations on this theme. HHS, for instance, is putting together an emerging leaders program, which shares many of the same characteristics as the governmentwide intern program.
Best of luck! We need young people in the government.
Greenbelt, Md.:
Is it possible that there is no crisis developing because there are a large number of federal employees eligible for retirement? In my unit, people who are eligible just never seem to get around to it and there seems to be a constant stream of retiring military to fill in the gaps.
Stephen Barr: Keen observation. I suspect the economic slump, the woes of the C Fund and human nature will keep many retiree eligibles on the job longer than they might have thought. But the data shows that most do leave within several years, so the retirement wave will splash across the government, but we don't know just when.
I think it will be a shame if the governmen misses the opportunity to prepare, given the advance warning. Some agencies are turning to military retirees as a stop-gap device, and that's fine, but not a substitute for long-term planning and hiring.
Norfolk, Va.:
Mr. Barr,
Do you know the length of time it will take the U.S. Court of Claims to provide "preliminary approval" to the Special Rates back pay settlement? Are there any statutory regulations that force action? Thank-you for your response.
Stephen Barr: There is no time frame set, although when the settlement was announced the lawyers for the union expressed hope that the approval would come by August.
The case is now at the Claims Court, but there are several court procedures that must be followed. After preliminary approval, there will be a period during which class members can comment on the proposed settlement. Then, a "fairness hearing" at which the court will consider the comments. After that, the court would order a final approval. Then, the government would pay into a trust fund, and class members would receive information on what they need to do to claim their share of the back pay.
Exhausting, yes. My bet is that some payments will be made before the end of this year, but it is only a guess on my part.
For information, check this website: www.nteu.org/Specrates.html
or call 1 800 750 3406.
Arlington, Va.:
I think of Federal service as a kind of death before death. Has it always been this way -- that no one cares and the only people who get anything are the least deserving? For the record, it really sucks.
Stephen Barr: It saddens me to say that you may not be alone in this view. I guess I am naive, but I'm always shocked by the number of folks who yearn for an early retirement package.
Surveys by Paul Light of Brookings seem to suggest that large numbers of federal employees do not find their work rewarding or inspiring. At the same time, he finds almost an equal number who take pride in public service, find it challenging and just wish their agencies gave them more resources to better do their job.
I've learned it's a big government and the same "culture" does not exist everywhere. Time for a transfer to new place?
Bowie, Md.:
Re: Telecommuting
Do any other agencies share mine's schizophrenic attitude toward it?
We officially prohibit it, because of our data security requirements; but plenty of people dial in when on work-travel or from home on weekends during crunch times.
So telecommuting can be EXTRA work, just not duty-status work.
Stephen Barr: Thanks for making that point. The wonderful thing about the electronic world, especially the wireless connection, is that you can be available to field work-related questions from anywhere, anytime. As we blur the line on when and where work gets done, I hope agencies will take a flexible approach and realize that employees don't always have to be tied to their desk.
Washington, D.C.:
Steve,
Do you know what's up with the new transportation security agency? Seems kind of difficult to find information on it. Do they have a Web site? Will they continue to use contractors to do their hiring?
Stephen Barr: The Transportation Security Administration is still in the building phase. But the agency hopes to start staffing airports this summer; under law, federal screeners must be in uniform at the security checkpoints by Nov. 19 at the nation's 429 major airports.
TSA has a web site: www.tsa.gov
It also lists its jobs on the OPM USA Jobs website, www.opm.gov and the contractor provides a listing through monster.com
The contractor will handle the hiring process and provide personnel services to employees. It's an automated job application process, but if you survive that first cut, TSA officials say the contractor moves quickly to get you in for a physical, drug test and aptitude test.
Columbus, Ohio:
When you retire can you roll your TSP contribution into a Roth IRA?
Stephen Barr: Unfortunately, no.
See page six of the booklet, "Withdrawing Your TSP Account After Leaving Federal Service," which you can get at your personnel office or off the TSP website, www.tsp.gov
Bethesda, Md.:
Where could I go and find out the total number of investors in the TSP fund, and a breakdown of their pay scale & how much they actually put in? (There are a total of 10,000 GS 9-5s, all invest, how many at what rate?)
I'm a 9-5, I invest the maximum, and have since 1993 (when I was GS 6), and I don't understand how the Treasury could argue it "costs too much" without releasing the data.
Thanks!
Stephen Barr: The total number of TSP investors is around 2.6 million, counting those who have separated or retired and left their accounts in the program. As for the other statistical questions, TSP did at one time provide those sort of analyses, but I've not see one in several years. Generally speaking, they showed that the higher the salary level, the more likely a person is to participate in TSP and make the higher contributions. While interesting from an intellectual point of view, this should not guide your investment decisions. As for your last point, not sure what you're saying about Treasury....possibly you are referring to issue of allowing CSRS employees to invest up to the dollar maximum set by the IRS rather than under the percentage maximums. Congress dealt with that issue in 2000 by phasing our the percentage limits; in 2006, all investors will only be limited by the dollar cap.
Washington, D.C.:
Do you get a higher annuity percentage if you retire with age and 42 yrs of CSRS service (no withdrawals or redeposits) plus I'll have 1,044 hours of sick leave (plan 12/2003)?
Stephen Barr: Better check your personnel office for a precise breakdown of what you stand to get. But, generally speaking, the CSRS benefit is limited to 80 percent of the "high three"--which is achieved at about 42 years of service.
However, credit due to unused sick leave is not counted against this maximum, so you could end up with a benefit higher than 80 percent.
Sounds like you are in good health and have put in a good career. Thanks for your service!
Alexandria, Va.:
Steve: Can you tell me the advantages/disadvantages of paying 3 percent of my military retired pay now, instead of waiting until I'm ready to retire? I keep hoping
they'll change the rules and let us keep our disability/retired pay PLUS use those years as credit towards civil service. Thanks!
Stephen Barr: Seems to me to be largely a matter of personal preference: do you have the money now or do you want to save up and buy the credits at retirement. You will be charged interest for waiting, however. That might equal the interest you would earn by saving your money. I would not count on any policy change allowing you to be paid under both systems for the same time.
New Orleans, La.:
Would you think I am too cynical to think it is no coincedence that with the impending retirements of the baby boomers and the lack of any real planning for replacing them, that the administration is ramping up of A-76 process? The real plan seems to be replace civil servants with contractors. No one (well, except the union and some Dems) is going to admit that out loud. But I always thought it better to judge on actions and not words.
Stephen Barr: A very good point. Unfortunately, we won't know the real answer until all the contractors have the jobs or agencies have rebelled and dropped the A-76 process for alternatives that truly meet the needs of their agencies.
At some agencies, though, it seems the plans to conduct outsourcing studies are further along than the plans to solve retirement and recruitment problems.
Alexandria, Va.:
Aren't there plenty of people in the private sector also who would take early retirement if they could get it? I think it's natural for someone in their 50's, old enough to take early retirement but young enough to still have some productive years in them, to want to try something new just for the sake of novelty and stretching their wings while they still can. I'm not sure that is exclusive to Fed employees.
Stephen Barr: Good point. Thanks for making it.
Silver Spring, Md.:
Stephen -- with all of the "hoopla" concerning the Federal government's long term care
insurance program, very little has been said about the "early enrollment" period (March 25 - May 15). In fact, I
have heard that OPM is telling agencies not to advertise the "early enrollment" period! Moreover, there has
been nothing mentioned in my agency (and others, so I've been told) on how to enroll! Do you have any
information on how to enroll for the LTC insurance during the "early enrollment" period? washingtonpost.com:
Long-Term Care Program Comes Loaded With Options (Post, March 26, 2002)
Some Are More Eligible Than Others for Long-Term Care Coverage (Post, March 27, 2002)
Check Out the Competition in Long-Term Care Insurance (Post, March 28, 2002)
Stephen Barr: I've done my part for the hoopla--see these three columns on The Post website, which should answer many of your questions.
But you are right. OPM has told agencies not to promote the early enrollment period. OPM thinks early enrollment is only for those who have already researched what long-term care insurance is about and firmly know that they want to buy coverage through the federal program.
If you are one of those, go online to www.ltcfeds.com, and look at the early enrollment information.
The regular open season begins July 1 and runs through the end of this year. OPM promises a big educational campaign for the open season, including 2,000 agency and community meetings.
Best of luck making your decision!
Once again, we've run out of time today. Thanks to all of you who sent in questions. See you here at noon next Wednesday.
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