Due to the March evacuation order, many managers were unable to complete their employees’ rating year and issue a performance appraisal. HCO asked PMA to remind our members to please be sure that all 6850 appraisals are completed as soon as possible so that performance awards are not impacted. This is especially critical for my peers in W&I, where I believe we have several thousand outstanding appraisals to complete. This is also a good time for you to start working on your own end-of-year self-appraisal because that will be coming up soon for managers.
There’s never been a more important time to become a PMA member. Our voice is becoming louder and our leaders are listening. Through our consultative relationship with IRS HQ, we’ve worked to resolve questions, concerns, and inconsistencies around performance pay, leave administration, professional liability, retirement, safety, and leadership succession to name only a few. We are working diligently to strengthen our existing relationships throughout the IRS and to develop new relationships throughout government and with our sponsors so that we can grow our impact. We do all of this and more for a mere $3.50 per pay period – the best bargain I’ve seen in my career. I ask each of you to encourage your peers in the non-bargaining unit to consider signing up using the attached form. If you know a retiree who would benefit from our advocacy, we offer lifetime memberships to them for a one-time $100 payment.
Please join us on August 4th from 1-2:30PM Eastern for a Federal Academic Alliance Panel Discussion & Informational Session. This program is a partnership with the Federal Executive Board Network, Office of Personnel Management, and Federal Academic Alliance partners to 1) engage the Federal workforce in a decision about leadership as it relates to mission critical occupations, current trends, and future trends (upskilling/reskilling), and 2) provide information about the Federal Academic Alliance. You can register and attend using your personal device by registering here (FYI – you have to use your government email address to register because that’s how they are making sure all attendees are feds). Read more about this event in the attached invitation.
Thank you to those of your who were able to attend the July 9th presentation on COVID-19 and its impacts on retirement planning. The administrator of the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) and Tammy Flanagan of Retire Federal hosted an educational webinar on the FLTCIP exclusively for our members. Several of you have expressed interest in receiving a link to a recording of the presentation and, fortunately, we were able to obtain the recording link to share with everyone. You can view the recording from your personal device by clicking here.
We would like to extend an official invitation for you to attend the GSA Technology Transformation Services’ (TTS) Impact Summit Series Kickoff event on August 12th from 2-4PM Eastern. This free two-hour, virtual event will bring together federal leaders and innovators, like yourself, to learn about technology modernization efforts happening across the federal government from those hitting some of the biggest challenges head on. Through executive keynotes, panels, and case studies you will learn how other agencies are changing the way services are delivered to the public. Please register to confirm your participation using the invitation here. You will need to use your personal device to attend this Zoom presentation. In addition, be on the lookout for future Impact Summit Series events which will take place over the next few months on a number of topics including: Artificial Intelligence (AI), identity, customer experience, and cloud to name a few!
Join April Buckland and Adrienne Church, Service-wide Knowledge Management (SKM) Driving Adoption program analysts, on August 13th from 1-2PM Eastern to learn more about unlocking the power of collaboration and knowledge with SKM. This is an event hosted by the Internal Revenue Service so you will need to enroll following the instructions here and attend using your work device.
The IRS Human Capital Office (HCO) is offering Awards Misconduct Refresher Training via SABA August 24th through August 28th in seven different sessions so that you can pick one that works best for you. This training is limited to IRS employees only and can only be access from your work device. To find a session that works for you, please see the attachment.
Team Results USA is offering free weekly webinars on Wednesdays from 1-2PM Eastern on the Anatomy of Teamwork. The series will feature the latest research from UCLA, Sandia Labs, the University of Arizona, among others on how teams operate. To be a part of this free webinar, from your personal device, click here to register for login credentials.
If you missed the July 9th IRS Leadership Lunch and Learn presentation, “Beyond the Survey,” using your work device you can play back the recording, download the presentation (.pdf) or read the transcript (.pdf). For information on upcoming sessions as well as past sessions, visit the Leadership Lunch and Learn schedule and recordings website. Read more
We still have face coverings available through FEEA. They’re offering to send a cloth face covering to anyone who must return to work in a space with other employees and/or the public. Register here to receive a complimentary face covering. If you would like to place a bulk order of those masks for your team or department, please let me know. Thank you to those managers who’ve reached out to me for bulk orders for their teams!
FSAFEDS participants have a 60-day limited period which ends on August 29th, during which certain mid-year changes can be made to their existing elections. During this limited period, enrollees in a 2020 Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA), Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Account (LEX HCFSA), or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) can make a one-time change (increase or decrease) in the amount of their annual election in each of their FSA accounts. Participants, however, cannot receive a refund of allotments already made to an FSA account. In order to make a change, you assert a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) and now the list of QLEs includes COVID-19. Read more
FedPoint along with FEDVIP will host a Virtual Benefits Fair this fall, throughout the CY20 Federal Benefits Open Season. The Virtual Benefits Fair is an online health fair that houses 2021 plan information in a single online location, enabling you to browse exhibits, view/download plan brochures, and connect with program representatives via chat. Last year, more than 20,000 employees visited the fair and we expect that number to increase exponentially given the current pandemic. There will be four live chat dates, November 13, November 20, December 2, and December 9. I will share more information in September when registration begins!
We’d like to make you aware of a resource for Federal spouses who may survive the employed or retired fed. See the attached resource guide for spousal survivor benefits. Read more
On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed two members to join the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), ensuring the body has a quorum to continue operating. PMA continues to advocate for the Senate to take a similar action to appropriate staff the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which has been without a quorum for more than 42 months, leaving thousands of employees and dozens of agencies without certain resolution of these critical cases. Read more
Last week, Representative Jennifer Wexton (VA-10) introduced an amendment in the House that will permit some federal employees to carry over unused annual leave into next year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many of us are unable to use our annual leave due to stay-at-home orders and canceled vacation plans. PMA strongly supports the measure and will work with our legislative partners to encourage the Senate to take up the proposal.
In May, the House passed the HEROES Act containing several pro-federal employee provisions, including continued telework for all eligible federal employees throughout the pandemic, premium pay for public-facing workers and eliminating out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 treatment under FEHB. Along with these and other provisions, we are urging Congress to broaden weather and safety leave to cover childcare and other dependent care responsibilities resulting from the pandemic, and to allow federal employees to carry over unused annual leave as mentioned above. Senate Republicans released their proposed relief package, which is seen as a starting point for negotiations with House Democrats. While it does not include these pro-federal employee provisions, it does include $2 billion for IRS business systems modernization through FY 2025 and $320 million in funding this year for the IRS to carry out a second round of Economic Impact Payments. As congressional negotiations move forward, we will continue to work with our allies on Capitol Hill to ensure final legislation includes provisions supporting the needs of federal employees in this pandemic.
