A new Washington Post article highlights a new frequently asked question (FAQ) document from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. The FAQ discusses Hatch-Act restrictions on the use of politically-oriented social media during work.....
Read MoreEligibility for Long Term Care Insurance Expanded
In case you missed it, NTEU's November 10 e-Bulletin noted that the Office of Personnel Management is expanding Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) eligibility. Starting November 30, 2015, the term “qualified relative” will cover both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners of federal employees and annuitants. Children of domestic partners also will be eligible for coverage. This expanded definition only applies to the FLTCIP program, and regular FLTCIP underwriting requirements will still apply to family members seeking coverage.
Read MoreSubscribe to Website Updates Using RSS Reader
Did you know that you can get notified of new articles on the NTEU Chapter 280 blog automatically? Using a nifty technology called RSS, which stand for "rich site summary" or "really simple syndication," you can receive either a notice of a new article, or download the article itself into your web browser, Outlook, or your favorite RSS reader/news aggregator software....
Read MoreLatest OPM Data Breach Letters Being Sent
NTEU has received updated information from the Office of Personnel Management regarding the recent background investigations breach affecting approximately 21.5 million individuals. The U.S. government will be providing credit monitoring and identity theft services to these 21.5 million compromised individuals, who had a Social Security number stolen, for a period of three years. The Department of Defense is responsible for mailing all of the individual notifications through the U.S. mail. Individual notification letters began to be mailed out on October 1st, and will continue for a period of 12 weeks....
Read MoreHealth Plans Can Be Changed Starting November 9, Ending December 14
Open Season, where federal employees and retirees can make changes to their health, dental, and vision insurance benefits for 2016, and employees can enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) will be held November 9 – December 14, 2015. As an overall general reminder, employees should contact their agency’s Human Resources Office with health plan and enrollment questions, while annuitants should contact OPM. Questions regarding dental and vision plans can be directed to BENEFEDS at 1-877-888-3337 or at www.benefeds.com. Any questions about a specific insurance plan can be directed to the specific insurance carrier....
Read MoreNTEU Members Can Access Guide to Health Plans
NTEU members will again have access to Consumers’ Checkbook’s online Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and Annuitants. All NTEU members who currently or are planning to participate in Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) plans or the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) are eligible to use this online guide....
Read MorePresident Signs Legislation Increasing Federal Spending Levels
Congress has passed legislation to increase sequester spending levels for both domestic and defense spending for Fiscal Years (FY) 2016 and 2017. The measure also raises the debt ceiling until March 2017, which prevents a default on November 3rd. The House passed the budget deal by a vote of 266-167, and about 3:00am on October 30, 2015, the Senate cleared the measure 64-35....
Read MoreMessage from the President: Ratified CBA
Attached is the draft, ratified NTEU CBA for EPA. Our members at all four of our EPA NTEU chapters ratified the Agreement. The date of ratification was September 4, 2015. The Agreement then underwent Agency Head Review, which includes a review by the EPA’s Office of General Counsel. Five minor points were identified and resolved between the Agency and NTEU. Since these changes are not included in the attachment, I am listing them below, so you know what they were.....
Read MoreChapter 280 Goes Live with a New Website
Say goodbye to the late '90s. Today the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 280 went live with a modern, updated website using the Squarespace.com platform. The website includes a blog, officer biographies, contact information, and a document repository of information relevant to members and managers alike.....
Read MoreSummer Membership Drive
NTEU Chapter 280 is starting the 2015 Summer Membership Drive from June 1st to September 1st, 2015to bring new members into NTEU. Our goal is to sign at least 25 new members by the end of this membership drive....
Read MoreThe Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Unpaid Overtime
Several of our members have inquired about the AFGE settlement with EPA regarding unpaid overtime. NTEU280 was not a party to this lawsuit or to the settlement. Therefore, we cannot answer questions about the details of the lawsuit or its settlement, and we will refer all interested parties to AFGE for further information.....
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