February 9th, 2010

sbvr

Every week FEDmanager gives out the latest information you need to manage the nation's largest and most important workforce. From new laws and regulations to key court decisions FEDmanager delivers unfiltered news in an easy-to-read, straight forward format designed to help managers and other federal employees keep ahead of the rapidly changing federal workplace.

This Week in FEDmanager^® (scroll to articles below if these quick links do not work in your email provider)

• ALJ Program Should Be Reviewed To Improve Hiring and Performance Management, GAO Finds
• FEEA Unveils New Membership Program
• MSPB Announces the Creation of Three Labor-Management Forums
• From the Hill - Senate Confirms Martha N. Johnson as GSA Administrator
• Educate Yourself - What YOU Need to Know About Today's Federal Labor Relations
• Case Law Update - CBP Did Not Abuse Its Discretion When It Fired Officer Who Married Illegal Alien, Federal Circuit Rules
• Tip of The Week - Managing Workplace Rivalries
• Smile of the Week - Smile of the Week
• Leadership Reflection - Leadership Reflection

News Round Up

ALJ Program Should Be Reviewed To Improve Hiring and Performance Management, GAO Finds
A recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Program should be reviewed in an effort to improve hiring and performance management. GAO says that while Social Security Administration (SSA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) officials responsible for hiring new ALJs reportedly are satisfied with the quality of the judges hired from the Office of ...
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FEEA Unveils New Membership Program
The Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) has unveiled a new membership program called "Friends of FEEA," which is available to federal employees who make an annual gift of $150. FEEA is a lean, eight-employee charity whose purpose is to build a community of federal employees who help one another in times of need. It is the only charity that exclusively helps civilian federal and postal employees. When ...
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MSPB Announces the Creation of Three Labor-Management Forums
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Chairman Susan Tsui Grundmann, senior management of the MSPB, and the Executive Committee of the MSPB Professional Association (PA), have jointly announced the creation of three labor-management forums to promote positive labor-management relations and help find solutions that better serve the public. The move was in response to a December 9, 2009 Executive Order, in which P ...
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From the Hill - Senate Confirms Martha N. Johnson as GSA Administrator
Nearly ten months after her nomination, the U.S. Senate confirmed Martha N. Johnson as Administrator of General Services last Thursday by a vote of 96 to 0. Upon assuming office, Johnson will become the first permanent Administrator of the GSA in nearly two years. "Through the many transitions in leadership, GSA has stepped forward as a faithful and energetic steward of President Obama's recovery and sustainability a ...
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Educate Yourself - What YOU Need to Know About Today's Federal Labor Relations
Register for Federal Labor Relations Under the Obama Administration - Learn About Upcoming Changes, the New Executive Order, and Much More Join David Orr of Orr Consulting and OmniGov Training Institute for the course: What YOU Need to Know About Today's Federal Labor RelationsIf you are new to LR, need a refresher, or perform legal advisory, EEO or ADR services - this class is for you.DATE: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 ...
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Case Law Update - CBP Did Not Abuse Its Discretion When It Fired Officer Who Married Illegal Alien, Federal Circuit Rules
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not abuse its discretion when it fired a CBP Officer who married an illegal alien, the Federal Circuit ruled last week. In this case, the CBP Officer was removed from her position at John F. Kennedy International Airport effective December 1, 2008. The CBP Officer worked for the federal government as an Immigration Inspector with the Immigration and Naturalization Serv ...
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Tip of The Week - Managing Workplace Rivalries
A reader asks for advice on managing the turf battles that grew out of a recently re-organized department. Specifically, this reader reports that after a re-organization in which employees from different areas were placed into a newly formed department, there has developed an us versus them mentality, and the employees have begun filing EEO and other complaints when the new managers and supervisors attempt to hold th ...
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Smile of the Week - Smile of the Week
The Olson family lived on a small farm in Canada, just yards from the North Dakota border. The land in the area had been the subject of a minor dispute between the United States and Canada for years. One day, a neighbor knocked on the door holding a letter. "Hey, I just got some news. The government has come to an agreement with the people in North Dakota. They've decided that our land is really part of the United St ...
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Leadership Reflection - Leadership Reflection
Success in being a good follower lies in picking the right leader.

FEDmanager^®
Publisher: Shaw, Bransford & Roth, PC
Consulting Attorney: William L. Bransford
Editor: Susan S. McWilliams

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