Federal Daily - January 29, 2010

MSPB Says Employees’ Perception of Fair Treatment on the Rise

The Merit Systems Protection Board this week issued a report which examined how well agencies have fulfilled their mission to make the federal workforce more diverse and equitable. The verdict: Things are getting better.

The MSPB report, “Fair and Equitable Treatment: Progress Made and Challenges Remaining,” released on Jan. 27, looks at the federal government’s movement toward a representative workforce and fair treatment of all employees. Generally, MSPB found that progress had been made.

The federal workforce in fact has become more diverse, and an increasing percentage of federal employees perceive that they are treated fairly, the report said. At the same time, a decreasing percentage believe they have experienced discrimination based on factors such as ethnicity/race, gender or age.

Challenges remain, however. For example, the federal government continues to employ Hispanics at a rate below their availability in the civilian labor force, MSPB noted. Also, the percentage of minorities at higher pay levels (as in grades GS-14 and GS-15, and in supervisory and executive positions) remains below their rate of employment at lower GS levels. These differences are the result of a variety of factors, including occupational and educational patterns, and the legacy of past discrimination, the report said.

The survey also reveals that workers still do not have much faith in the system to resolve equal employment opportunity complaints. For example, only 57 percent of those surveyed said they trust management to take appropriate action against a supervisor who has discriminated. African American, American Indian and Hispanic employees surveyed were the most likely to lack faith in the system. Similarly, only 44 percent of employees believed that a charge of discrimination would be resolved justly, with African American and American Indian employees being least likely to believe they can rely on the system, the report said.

To see more go to: http://tinyurl.com/ycfgc36.

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Obama’s Budget to Include Increases for Military Family Programs

President Obama next week will request funding increases for military pay, housing allowances, family support programs and military health care in his Fiscal Year 2011 budget blueprint, according to news posted this week on several military Web sites.

Obama is slated to release his FY 2011 budget request on Feb. 1. Among other things, the request seeks a 1.4 percent basic pay raise for servicemembers, an average housing allowance increase of 4.2 percent, a variety of enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses, and monthly payments for specialty skills, according the reports.

The FY 2011 budget request also will seek a 3 percent increase (to $8.8 billion) in military family support programs, as well as a $1.3 billion set-aside to make affordable, high-quality child care services at 800 military child development centers stateside and overseas. This represents an $87 million increase over FY 2010 funding levels.

According to the reports, the request also will seek:

• A $37 million FY 2011 hike (to $1.9 billion) to expand counseling and assistance services for families facing stress from repeated deployments and family separations.
• A $12 million increase in FY 2011 (to $84 million) for enhanced career and educational opportunities for military spouses through tuition assistance and federal internship programs.
• A set-aside of $439 million in FY 2011 to build 10 new DoD Education Activity schools. This is the first step in a DoD plan to replace or renovate 103 of the schools by 2015.
• A 5.8 percent hike (to $30.9 billion) for medical care; this includes $669 million to provide traumatic brain injury and psychological health care and $250 million for continued mental health and traumatic brain injury research.

Michelle Obama also provided details on the family-focused budget increases Jan. 26 for attendees of the Joint Armed Forces Officers’ Wives Club annual luncheon at Bolling Air Force Base.

To see more go to: www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123187558.

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Bill Would Help Protect Vets’ Pensions

Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., on Jan. 27 introduced a measure that would—if passed into law–exempt insurance compensation payments from counting against veterans’ pension benefits.

Under current law, if a veteran is seriously injured in an accident or the victim of a theft and receives insurance compensation to cover the medical expenses or replace the stolen items, he or she could face the risk of losing their pension, Hastings said. The Department of Veterans Affairs is required to consider all sources of revenue to determine a veteran’s annual income. If that income exceeds the limit set by VA, the vet does not qualify for a pension. Under current regulations, VA must consider any reimbursement that compensates a vet for expenses due to accidents, theft or loss as income, Hastings said. 

The bill, the Veterans Pensions Protection Act, would exempt these reimbursements from being included into the determination of a veteran’s income.

“Current law effectively punishes veterans when they suffer from an accident, theft or loss,” Hastings said. “After serving our country so valiantly, our veterans deserve no less than the very best benefits.”

To see more go to: http://tinyurl.com/y9mtoln.

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