Federal Daily - December 19, 2008

MSPB Releases ‘Model Employer’ Study

The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) on Dec. 17 released a report that examines long-term patterns and trends in federal employees’ opinions about their jobs, agencies and working conditions. The report, “The Federal Government: A Model Employer or a Work In Progress?” uses data from MSPB’s Merit Principles Survey—a survey of federal employees that the board has conducted periodically since 1983—to explore the government’s progress toward becoming a model employer. MSPB pointed to a number of positive developments, including a decline since 1996 in the percentage of employees reporting ethnicity- or race-based discrimination. In particular, the percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander, black and Hispanic employees who reported that they have experienced discrimination have dropped substantially. Also, federal employees’ satisfaction with their pay has increased significantly, the report said, although the overall trend masks continuing—and considerable—differences in pay satisfaction by ethnicity and race. While satisfaction increased for all groups, the percentages of white and Hispanic employees reporting satisfaction have been consistently higher than percentages for other groups. The report also notes areas where improvement is needed. For example, employees consistently reported that their supervisors’ technical skills outpaced their managerial skills. Accordingly, employees expressed little confidence in the ability of supervisors to exercise personnel authorities fairly and effectively, the report said. “The survey results make it clear that federal agencies must improve how they select and develop supervisors and strengthen communication and trust in the workplace,” said MSPB Chairman Neil A. G. McPhie.  To see more, go to: www.mspb.gov.

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Lawmakers Express Concern over Medicare PFFS Plans

Lawmakers voiced concern over the results of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which warned that Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare Advantage private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans face significant financial risks. GAO said such plans charge cost-sharing fees that are much higher than original fee-for-service Medicare, and often design elaborate and illegal “pre-notification” hurdles that leave beneficiaries holding the bag. “PFFS plans pose an imminent risk to the financial health of their enrollees,” said Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “Beneficiaries need to be warned about the dangers of enrolling in these plans. Clearly these plans don’t work if you actually get sick and need health care.” GAO noted that PFFS beneficiaries may be charged for the entire cost of a service under PFFS. Enrollees in original fee-for-service Medicare are not charged the entire cost of a service unless the provider warns them that a service may not be covered by Medicare. Medicare Advantage HMOs and PPOs have similar protections. Beneficiaries considering PFFS plans for 2010 should know that such plans have proven very unpopular with beneficiaries who have actually joined them, GAO warned. To see more, go to:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_
content&task=view&id=1460&Itemid=1.

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DoD Releases Academy Gender Relations Report

The proportion of students at the nation’s three military academies reporting incidents of unwanted sexual contact remained largely unchanged overall this year as compared to 2006, according to a new DoD study released Dec. 17. The congressionally-mandated “Service Academy 2008 Gender Relations Survey” looked at incidents of unwanted sexual contact reported by students enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), and the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The survey results include incident rates of sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexist behavior, and stalking-related behaviors, DoD said. The survey found that slightly fewer USMA cadets—8.6 percent of women and 0.6 percent of men—indicated they experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2008 as compared to 2006, when 10.5 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, experienced such contact. Of those women at USMA who indicated experiencing unwanted sexual contact, unwanted touching of genitalia and related areas (69 percent) was the type of behavior most frequently reported. At USNA, 8.3 percent of women and 2.4 percent of men indicated they experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2008 (as compared to 8.2 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively, in 2006). Of those women at USNA who reported unwanted sexual contact, unwanted touching (84 percent) was the most common complaint. And at USAFA, 9.7 percent of women and 1.4 percent of men reported they experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2008 (as compared to 9.5 percent and 1.2 percent respectively, in 2006). “We are committed to preventing sexual assault. We know sexual assault is an underreported crime, and we must foster a climate of confidence at the academies wherein victims no longer avoid reporting these crimes,” said David S. C. Chu, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. To see more, go to:
www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12397.

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