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Show HILL TOP TIMES Page 14 July 11. 1880 w recur ?(dlir(QiO costs for federal employees through its How many kinds of appointments are really needed, and what should be their relationship to each other in terms of interchangeability, The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has published a list of key issues likely to confront, the federal civil service system and OPM over the next several years. benefits, etc. Is a longer or shorter probationary period appropriate for certain kinds of jobs? At what point should an employee acquire career tenure and what should it mean? ' The agenda identifies seven major areas of concern: employee, benefits, personnel workforce simplification, system competence, management improvement, relations, equal insurance plans are available to civilian long-rang- e Classification and Qualification: There is a need to improve and speed up the process for establishing classification and qualification standards. There is also a need to look, on a high priority basis, at options for developing an entirely new approach. Career Employment: What should the competitive appointment system consist of? "While federal employees generally el vary Sick Leave: The present sick leave system has been criticized for perceived employee development programs. abuse and for costing too much money. OPM plans to determine if improvements can be made. Merit and entitlements Empioyee benefits Disability Retirement: The Civil Service disability retirement program has been criticized because the rate of disability retirement is higher than that experienced by Social Security, because of the relatively low rate of recovery from disability, and because the roll has not been reduced through strict OPM believes methods. policing related made. can be Closely improvements issues are whether the basis and amounts of disability annuities are sufficient to sustain disabled retired employees. Health Care Costs: Health care costs have been growing faster than other costs in the economy. Various proposals are' under consideration by Congress for containing these costs for the general population. OPM has some leverage in containing health care Retirement System Costs: The costs of benefits being earned by current federal employees is not fully funded because the present method of funding the retirement system does not give consideration to annuity This section deals with problems of responding to the needs of the several minority groups, women and handicapped while accommodating the traditional principles of the merit system; e.g., open competition, selection based on qualifications - adjustments. Ultimately, the government must pay costs that employee contributions do not. Understatement of retirement costs may result in a tendency to adopt benefits which could jeopardize the affordability of the retirement system. cost-of-livi- ng CS - Retirement Social Security Integration: What should the policy be with respect to proposals to integrate the Civil Service Retirement Fund with Social Security? Benefits Packages: Employee-Tailore- d There has been experimentation in private benefits industry with employee-tailore- d This individual packages. concept permits employees to select, within a given dollar limit, a mix of pay, leave, insurance, health benefits, retirement benefits, and other compensation elements which best satisfies the employee's individual needs. Total cost to the employer remains essentially the same. What significant constraints and policy issues need to be considered in evaluating whether or riot the employee-tailore- d benefits to are the federal packages appropriate (FNCS) compensation system? POWAAI A Recognition day July 18 on couirtesy display courtesy and good manners, it is important for agencies to continually stress the obligation of all employees to do so." This statement was contained in a memorandum to heads of federal departments and agencies transmitting a policy statement on the subject by OPM director, Alan K. Campbell The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 calls for courtesy and good manners in the conduct exhibited by federal employees. An amendment introduced by Rep. Elliot H. Levitas .) stresses the need for federal workers to be periodically reminded that courtesy, timeliness and quality of work service are a part of civility in government and, where appropriate, may be considered integral parts of performance appraisal criteria. The policy statement defines good manners as an informal, commonsense term meaning of a standard of behavior among federal employees that is polite and considerate of others. Courtesy is defined as the practice, day in and day out, of good manners. (D-Ga- Now a policy . mid-lev- for the work, advancement based on performance, equal pay for equal work. Simplification of the system pwfl Questions raised In this section deal with fitness-for-dut- y examinations, retraining of employees, the selection of supervisors and managers and their effectiveness, employee counseling, and their benefits considerably. OPM needs to determine if sufficient efforts are being made to contain health care costs. In 1978, receipts of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program were $3.2 billion and payments $3 billion. Workforce Competence "Identifying major problem areas is the logical first step toward improving the system which governs the management of federal personnel: The ultimate aim is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government while insuring fair and equitable . treatment of employees," says OPM Director Alan K. Campbell. The proposed policy agenda was published in the June 3 "Federal Register," inviting comments from federal agencies and other interested parties. The following outlines some of the key issues and questions before the federal civil service and OPM: Stress and employees, labor-manageme- nt employment opportunity, and policy issues. of employee health plans. administration Suggestions to accomplish this include fostering greater competition between plans by making it easier for federal employees to compare benefits of different plans, a task not easily done. More than 100 separate health '0s ODD The basic statement reads: "It is the policy of the U.S. Government that good manners and courtesy will be required of all employees in all of their dealings with the public, members of Congress and employees of their own agency and of other agencies." It further states that agency heads are responsible for making the policy known to all employees, for providing appropriate training, and for reviewing the. conduct of employees for courtesy and good manners. The policy makes dear that federal employees should generally perform courteously even if treated discourteously by membersof the publjclloweyer,. employees. have the responsibility to refuse to violate the law or regulations or to give special advantage not called for by the law. In addition, employees should be periodically reminded that under the Civil Service .Reform Act, courtesy to the public, timeliness of performance and quality of work service are integral parts of the criteria for performance appraisal. m AND PLAM N I H Kl(5 j MAI N TbNANCty R OGOBU ASZ, mLLAF&j UTAH Emphasis on courtesy In his memorandum, Campbell noted that members of Congress and others repeatedly emphasized the importance of good manners, courtesy and prompt service by federal employees during hearings on the Civil Service Reform Act. Campbell asked department and agency heads to: issue a strong statement on the importance of eliminating discourtesy; emphasize this policy as part of new employee orientation covering the merit principles and codes of conduct; pursue an active program of counseling by management at all levels. Under the policy, federal employees are responsible for their own good conduct, in their official capacity, including good manners, courtesy and civility to the public. Good work environment inappropriate, unprofessional M 'Si -- I 11 M In addition, supervisors and managers are responsible for creating and maintaining a positive and productive work environment in which employees are held fully accountable for discourteous service to the public and S -' I - AV3S :iTEPB HQAFLCIGTEAM FOR HIS COWTf?l6UTON9 or irresponsible behavior. In the OPM policy, Campbell urges the full cooperation of all federal managers, supervisors and employees in an area that is crucial to the efficient and effective . admln&ifa.tiofl.of ggvrpment, .(ENCS). (jrP l CURVE'S TOPBPOTMAl NTEVJAWCE; , TO rr&ttTQ OVERSBAS F4 REPAIR : (fFrFb. iy CONTRACTOR , ! |