OPM
or the office of personnel management is an organization that manages the records of of federal employees including but not restricted to all the retirement applications and processes.
Largest Federal Employee Union Files Lawsuit Against OPM
Largest Federal Employee Union AFGE Files Class Action Lawsuit Against OPM
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has filed a lawsuit against the Office of Personnel Management to hold the agency and other defendants accountable for the devastating cyberattacks.
The cyberattacks against OPM compromised the personal and security files of some 18 million or so current federal employees and retirees.
The federal class action lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has the AFGE and two individuals, Robert Crawford and Adam Dale, as lead plaintiffs. The class members and plaintiffs include current, former, and prospective employees and contractors of the U.S. government.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, and actual and statutory damages. Other than OPM, the other named co-defendants are OPM Director Katherine Archuleta, OPM Chief Information Officer Donna Seymour, and KeyPoint Government Solutions.
Injunctive relief in this case means the OPM needs to beef up its data security. A statement issued by AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. and others says that “Even after this historic security breach, OPM has continued to use poor data security practices and inferior private-sector strategies to solve its security woes.”
They are also seeking more information about the data breach. “Despite putting government employees and their loved ones at significant personal and financial risk, OPM has failed to reveal the full scope of who was specifically impacted by the data breach and the extent of the information taken.”
The statement adds that AGFE is working with its federal employee and retiree members to ascertain the breadth of the breach and obtain feedback on OPM’s response.
OPM Director Katherine Archuleta says in a blog post on the OPM website that “I want to personally apologize for the inconvenience, but know that we take very seriously the responsibility OPM holds in securing Federal employee data. Improving OPM’s IT security posture is the utmost priority as we work to recruit, engage, and honor America’s talented and hardworking Federal workforce.”
The class action lawsuit is no doubt rather an unprecedented and extreme step by the largest federal employee union that represents 670,000 federal employees and DC government employees. But AFGE feels that since OPM is unwilling to provide adequate assistance, they have to take this step to gather more information and hold the agency accountable.
It’s a sad commentary on OPM’s operational processes, since their inability to secure data created the problem, and now they’re digging an even deeper hole because of their inability to provide enough data to the affected federal employees.
More OPM Data Breach Related Articles
Cyber ID Theft…How Are You Protecting Yourself? by Gary Fouts
OPM Cyberattack Update – 21.5 Million Social Security Numbers Compromised
Are Hackers Smarter Than The Government’s IT Developers – By Dianna Tafazoli
Katherine Archuleta Is Working Against the Clock
retirement.OPM Director, Katherine Archuleta, has marked her one year anniversary as the Director of OPM and she wants to leave a lasting legacy for making significant changes in the way OPM operates. The Federal Government has a long history of not getting recruitment right particularly with a focus towards diversity and inclusion.
Archuleta announced at a virtual town meeting that OPM needs to go to the world of millenniums, where they live and breathe. They tweet, they meet on Facebook and LinkedIn and Director Archuleta knows that. OPM wants to find new ways of getting the next generation of workers interested in opportunities with the Federal Government.
The old ways of recruiting talent definitely needs a makeover so as not to leave the Federal workforce without the benefit of the technology generation. Children under the age of 5 know how to speak technology – Apps, tablets and they can use them better than most adults.
Looking for jobs in the newspapers and spending hours filling out lengthy applications leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of the tech generation and vacant positions that need to be filled in the wake of many Federal workers heading into retirement.
Director Archuleta’s roll out of REDI (Recruitment, Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion) is a great idea and definitely a move in the right direction. It certainly appears that Director Archuleta’s remaining two years at OPM will be filled with a very heavy “things-to-do” list.
Dianna Tafazoli
Always Remember to Share What You Know
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OPM Setting The Stage For Tomorrow
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has for years been plagued about what to do during extreme inclement weather. Federal workers waited anxiously for the word to come down from OPM Director about Federal Government closings. Now that Human Resources has made significant headway in trying to get the majority of workers on telework protocol, inclement weather might just be a thing of the past.
OPM should lead the way in bringing the largest workforce in the country into the modern era of automation. Work assignments and how and when they are carried out should have absolutely nothing to do with the weather short of a severe hurricane or tornado that might interfere with electricity and cut off or stagnate such capabilities.
That statement calls for another red flag. Cable services should also be so advanced that the wind and elements will not knock-out internet services. However, back to OPM and the Federal workforce. There is snow falling in the Washington metro area slated to accumulated 6 to 10 inches that would normally shut down the city. The days of a total government shut down seem to be over. The Federal Government can still carry out its business because the men and women who keep the fires burning no longer have a need to get in cars and drive to the brick and mortar.
Now that OPM is working to keep the Federal workforce in their homes or at centralized locations, the next big challenge for the Feds will be what to do with all of the brick and mortar that today serve as the addresses of many Federal buildings.
We cannot give all the old buildings to Donald Trump and have him turn them into luxury hotels; at least that is what is happening with the old Post Office pavilion, soon to become a Trump hotel. Who knows the old brick and mortar just might become a holding transition point for those who must touch the brick and mortar and cannot get back home.
For now, even if the nation’s capital gets 6 to 8 inches of snow, the business of the United States Government is prepared to keep the fires burning.
Dianna Tafazoli
Always Remember to Share What You Know
Additional Articles by Dianna Tafazoli
Katherine Archuleta Is Working Against the Clock
Hiring Our Heroes
Last year in Fort Belvoir, Virginia minutes away from the nation’s capital, a job fair was held to hire America’s Veterans. This is a two-fold dynamic. On the one hand, it is a good thing that special emphasis is being placed on hiring Veterans. However, on the other hand, why would someone who has served his/her country have to go through the often unrewarded hassle of a job fair?
Job fairs are only valuable when the organizations have direct-hire authority and actually intend to fill positions most immediately and not use the data as part of their outreach efforts on paper. I have been to a lot of job fairs as a hiring vendor. For research purposes I have also used myself and members of my staff to act as job seekers. The outcome as a hiring vendor reaped great results because I went there to hire and not buttress a report about hiring efforts. I needed to hire a record number of Social Workers for the Government. I had asked for and been given direct-hire authority of which I used every morsel of that authority to hire 300 Social Workers with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and a Licensed Graduate Social Work license (LGSW). I hired qualified Social Workers on the spot.
It is as fresh in my mind as it was when it happened back in 1997-98. I went to job fairs at The Catholic University of American that hosted other District of Columbia Universities (Howard, George Washington, Georgetown, American, Trinity, and the University of Maryland). I traveled along the East Coast to the University of Maryland at Baltimore, Johns Hopkins, Pennsylvania, New York University, and Temple. The Universities I could not get to in person were informed via other means. In essence, our recruitment efforts spans the country into Puerto Rico.
It was nearing graduation time in the USA, the best time to recruit to fill positions with new energy and enthusiasm and pair them with seasoned personnel to make the learning curve seamless. For many Veterans, there is no learning curve because they have received some of the best training possible via the military. They have the unique skills of discipline, leadership and the ability to work cohesively in a team, all proven ingredients for success. Veterans may have a slight adjustment to transitioning from the Military to the Civilian world, but that pales in comparison to the skills they bring to the table.
We hired more than 300 Social Workers in the 3 month period given and even beat that deliverable by 15 days. Veterans have given their all to protect and defend America’s shores. They need jobs, housing and health care. They need to be taken care of. It is time to put all Americans back to work. It is time to show our appreciation to Veterans and connect them with jobs now.
We’ll check back with Ft. Belvoir in a couple of months and see if we can get any statistics on how well the Hiring Our Heroes job fair did for our deserving Veterans.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
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Obligation of Employers
The President signed an Executive Order forbidding discrimination based on gender identity and other discriminatory practices in the workplace. Organizations having 50 or more employees with $100,000 in contracts are legally mandated to follow the law. When it is found that employers are not following the law, they are not thrown out of the program or barred from participation, but are required to submit an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP).
Once again that is one of the strategies that sounds good in theory, but where is the enforcement? The United States Government has an Affirmative Action policy that covers the majority of employers in the nation. That fact that an Executive Order would have to be issued reiterating certain aspects of the EEOC’s overarching mission on discrimination and the Department of Labor’s (DOL) views on adherence to contracting requirements concerning number of employees and contract limits.
Often employers take the lead in upholding the law over actual federal enforcement policies. It should be a partnership between employers and federal enforcement to ensure that laws are being followed for the betterment of the American Workforce.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
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Executive Order 13583
President Obama issued Executive Order 13583 establishing a coordinated government-wide initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in the Federal Workforce. The Executive Order was broken down into several parts: Section 1 Policy. Section 2 Government-wide Diversity and Inclusion Initiative and Strategic Plan. Section 3 Responsibilities of Executive Departments and Agencies and Section 4 General Provisions.
Summarily, every agency within the Federal Government was mandated to adhere not in theory to the terms and conditions of the Executive Order but in practice. It further required that agencies within 120 days of issuance submit to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Deputy Direct for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), an agency-specific Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for recruiting, hiring, training, developing, advancing, promoting, and retaining a diverse workforce consistent with applicable law, the Government-wide Plan, merit system principles, the agency’s overall strategic plan, its human capital plan prepared pursuant to Part 250 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and other applicable workforce planning strategies and initiatives.
That’s a whole mouth-full. That Executive Order was issued by President Obama on August 18, 2011. The anniversary of that issuance is upon us marking 3 years August 18, 2014. I would certainly be interested in the progress that has been made by the agencies in 3 years. We write down beautiful goals and objectives with tremendous intent, but how do we measure up when it comes to actually making the words active and accountable? What do you do when an Executive Order is not enough?
I have participated in many studies with the goal of creating true diversity, including a mammoth study for the Department of Veteran Affairs, where I designed a Barrier Analysis Methodology (BAM) to assist the VA in identifying and removing barriers to opportunities for identified members of its workforce. Yet, with an exhaustive study done for the VA in 2008 published by the National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA), the VA, like all Federal agencies, continues to struggle with achieving true diversity and inclusion throughout its ranks.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
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OPM’s Elite Laundry List
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has set seven priority areas as part of its strategic goals and objectives:
HONORING THE WORKFORCE: OPM will be the champion of the Federal workforce. Through such programs as the OPM Innovation lab and the Learning Center, we will provide career training and skill development for Federal employees. OPM will serve as the thought leader in research and data-driven human resource management and policy decision-making.
BUILD A MORE DIVERSE AND ENGAGED WORKFORCE: OPM, which by Executive Order is the lead agency on increasing diversity and inclusion in the Federal workforce, will recruit qualified individuals to serve and expand access to the job pipeline from entry and mid-level positions to leadership posts. OPM will provide leadership in helping agencies create work environments where a diverse Federal workforce is fully engaged and energized.
WORLD CLASS CUSTOMER SERVICE: OPM will respond to the interest of its many and diverse customers throughout the lifecycle of an employee. Whether it’s a recent graduate seeking to start a Federal career, a current employee looking for a training opportunity or a retiree, OPM will provide timely, accurate and responsive service.
IT IMPROVEMENT: Under the leadership of a new Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer, OPM will implement its IT Strategic Plan to streamline and update IT systems to better serve Federal employees from resume through retirement.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS: In partnership with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, OPM will implement the revised Federal Investigative Standards and will lead efforts to strengthen the background investigations program across government as we maintain the highest standards of quality and timeliness.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT: OPM is closing in on our goal to process 90 percent of cases within 60 days. The agency will continue to update our systems as we continue to transition to a paperless process.
HEALTH CARE: OPM will fully implement the Multi-State Plan provision of the Affordable Care Act, to provide coverage to Tribal employees and continue providing high quality health insurance benefits to the Federal workforce.
Those are not even lofty priority areas, but great, well thought-out, doable priority areas. OPM has done its part. They have devised a very comprehensive, inclusive list of ‘to-do items’ part of the laundry list for keeping the Federal workforce running like a well-oiled machine. There is only one thing missing, the charge to Federal employees and other stakeholders to hold OPM’s feet to fire and make sure the goals are being met or that an expected degree of progress is being made.
One of the first questions every concerned Federal employee should ask Director Archuleta is— I read the list of seven priority areas and I think you’ve done a comprehensive job in capturing what should be prioritized, but where is the timeline? As Federal employees who have a stake in the game, you need something to measure the very doable goals against. Federal employees have an obligation to not only perform well in their respective positions, but an obligation to be a part of making sure their government is living up to its goals.
P.S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
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Tips to Getting Your House in Order to Retire Well – Interim Payments
Interim Payments
The term Interim Payments is a term Federal and Postal employees should become thoroughly familiar with. Although the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) works diligently to get annuity checks to retirees in a timely manner, good planning dictates that we should be prepared for the unexpected or the glitches that often occur during the normal course of conducting business
Interim Payments represent approximately 75 to 80 percent of what you will receive in your full annuity check. Don’t despair, all deficits will be recovered when you begin to receive your full annuity check.
It is important when you are submitting your Retirement Application papers for both CSRS and FERS retirement and for all Federal and Postal Benefits and that you are certain to check and recheck your retirement application to make sure you have crossed all your T’s and dotted all of your I’s. Overlooking pertinent information will cause a delay in the processing of your application. I always recommend that potential retirees do a –dry run- or test drive of the application package to become familiar with its contents and requirements before submitting the actual package. You may even want to solicit the help of a financial professional to ensure that you have the ability to maximize your Federal and Postal retirement benefits. Potential retirees need to know what their responsibilities are towards enhancing a seamless process to retirement. Retirement packages are on-line and information about your TSP can be found at PSRetirement’s TSP portal which will give you valuable information as you begin getting our house in order to retire well.
P. S. Always Remember to Share What You Know.
For more information visit and to access your retirement accounts visit;
LINKS
For information on how to log into your TSP.gov account
More information on Interim Payments
Complete CSRS information for Federal and Postal Employees
Explanation of Federal Employee Retirement System Benefits (FERS)
