WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.029 --> 00:00:05.840 Lawrence: Welcome to The FED Weekly for 5 - 11 October 2025, your essential 00:00:05.840 --> 00:00:09.520 weekly briefing on the policies and proposals shaping your career, 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:11.869 your benefits, and your retirement. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:16.940 Whether you’re a current federal employee navigating changes in the civil service, 00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:22.340 or a retiree keeping a close watch on your hard-earned pension and healthcare, this 00:00:22.340 --> 00:00:27.129 is your source for the latest news from Capitol Hill and the executive branch. 00:00:27.779 --> 00:00:31.670 Each week, we cut through the noise to bring you the critical updates on budget 00:00:31.670 --> 00:00:36.920 negotiations, pay raises, workforce policies, and the legislative battles that 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:39.109 directly impact the federal community. 00:00:39.580 --> 00:00:42.819 Let's get you up to speed on what happened this past week. 00:00:48.515 --> 00:00:51.856 Issues That Affect Current and Retired Federal Workers 00:00:52.489 --> 00:00:55.690 The Fiscal Shock of 2026 Health Premiums 00:00:56.263 --> 00:00:56.764 The U.S. 00:00:56.764 --> 00:01:00.684 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released its annual announcement 00:01:00.783 --> 00:01:05.913 regarding the Federal Benefits Open Season on Thursday, October 9, 2025. 00:01:06.583 --> 00:01:10.064 This announcement confirms that the Open Season for the Federal Employees 00:01:10.064 --> 00:01:15.764 Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) 00:01:15.764 --> 00:01:20.064 Program, and the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program 00:01:20.174 --> 00:01:26.234 (FEDVIP) will run from Monday, November 10, through Monday, December 8, 2025. 00:01:26.811 --> 00:01:30.962 The data accompanying this announcement delivered a significant fiscal shock 00:01:30.962 --> 00:01:32.592 to the entire federal community. 00:01:33.541 --> 00:01:38.001 Federal employees and retirees enrolled in the FEHB Program will 00:01:38.001 --> 00:01:41.152 face an average increase of 12.3% 00:01:41.532 --> 00:01:44.321 in their share of the premiums for 2026. 00:01:45.001 --> 00:01:48.341 This marks the second consecutive year that beneficiaries have been 00:01:48.341 --> 00:01:52.292 hit with a double-digit percentage increase in health care costs. 00:01:52.909 --> 00:01:57.329 To quantify this burden, civilian federal workers enrolled in “Self Only” plans 00:01:57.329 --> 00:02:00.160 are projected to pay an additional $15.43 00:02:00.240 --> 00:02:04.369 per biweekly paycheck, while those with “Self Plus One” plans face an 00:02:04.369 --> 00:02:06.980 average additional cost of $34.21 00:02:06.980 --> 00:02:11.959 per pay period, and those with family coverage will pay $38.81 00:02:11.959 --> 00:02:13.019 more per paycheck. 00:02:13.750 --> 00:02:18.429 For retirees and employees on fixed or suspended incomes, this unexpected, 00:02:18.740 --> 00:02:23.160 steep rise in fixed costs dramatically complicates financial planning. 00:02:23.745 --> 00:02:26.975 The cost hikes extend beyond the primary FEHB program. 00:02:27.366 --> 00:02:30.806 Enrollees in the PSHB Program will see their premium share 00:02:30.806 --> 00:02:33.325 increase by an average of 11.3% 00:02:33.325 --> 00:02:34.476 in 2026. 00:02:34.896 --> 00:02:38.526 Furthermore, OPM’s announcement noted premium increases for ancillary 00:02:38.526 --> 00:02:42.605 benefits, with dental coverage through FEDVIP rising by 3.3% 00:02:42.976 --> 00:02:45.966 and vision premiums increasing by 0.5% 00:02:45.966 --> 00:02:46.586 on average. 00:02:47.175 --> 00:02:51.195 This announcement—released the day before furloughed federal employees 00:02:51.235 --> 00:02:56.526 missed their first full paycheck on Friday, October 10—highlights the intense 00:02:56.526 --> 00:02:58.896 financial pressure facing the workforce. 00:02:59.495 --> 00:03:03.096 Active employees are not only dealing with an immediate collapse of their 00:03:03.096 --> 00:03:07.496 income stream but are also being forced to confront rising mandatory 00:03:07.496 --> 00:03:09.285 expenses for the coming year. 00:03:09.926 --> 00:03:15.146 For annuitants, who rely on fixed retirement income, a 12.3% 00:03:15.146 --> 00:03:19.825 increase in health care costs represents a serious erosion of their purchasing 00:03:19.825 --> 00:03:24.805 power, placing a severe constraint on their budgets that will likely far exceed 00:03:24.805 --> 00:03:30.356 their 2026 cost-of-living adjustment, a topic we will address in Section 2. 00:03:31.081 --> 00:03:33.071 Plan Options and Discontinuations 00:03:33.655 --> 00:03:36.516 The Open Season announcement also confirmed the available 00:03:36.516 --> 00:03:38.806 plan landscape for 2026. 00:03:39.545 --> 00:03:44.466 The FEHB Program will feature 47 participating carriers offering a total 00:03:44.466 --> 00:03:51.626 of 132 plan options, and the PSHB Program will have 17 carriers with 75 options. 00:03:52.175 --> 00:03:56.546 The FEDVIP program will offer 11 dental carriers with 21 options and 00:03:56.546 --> 00:03:58.816 five vision carriers with 10 options. 00:03:59.451 --> 00:04:05.312 Crucially, OPM confirmed that six FEHB plans, one PSHB plan, and one FEDVIP 00:04:05.442 --> 00:04:08.382 plan will no longer be available in 2026. 00:04:08.821 --> 00:04:13.111 Enrollees in these discontinued plans are strongly advised by OPM to actively 00:04:13.111 --> 00:04:16.871 choose new coverage during the Open Season, as failure to do so could 00:04:16.871 --> 00:04:19.112 result in a lapse or default enrollment. 00:04:19.867 --> 00:04:23.607 Within specific plans, there are significant structural changes. 00:04:23.947 --> 00:04:29.068 For example, within the Federal Employee Program (FEP) Blue Focus, the Medicare 00:04:29.068 --> 00:04:34.108 Prescription Drug Program will not be available in 2026, and the catastrophic 00:04:34.167 --> 00:04:40.617 out-of-pocket maximum will double for Self Only plans to $10,000, and for Self Plus 00:04:40.617 --> 00:04:43.717 One and Self & Family plans to $20,000. 00:04:43.857 --> 00:04:47.877 These structural changes underscore the critical importance for all federal 00:04:47.877 --> 00:04:53.037 employees and retirees to review their benefits closely during the upcoming 00:04:53.067 --> 00:04:57.938 Open Season, even if their plan is not among those being discontinued. 00:04:58.521 --> 00:05:01.452 Thrift Savings Plan Updates and Charitable Giving 00:05:02.042 --> 00:05:05.662 The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) provided an update this week 00:05:05.662 --> 00:05:07.392 concerning participant statements. 00:05:07.952 --> 00:05:13.172 The agency announced on October 3, 2025, that the third-quarter 2025 00:05:13.172 --> 00:05:17.691 participant statements, which cover account activity from July 1 through 00:05:17.691 --> 00:05:22.942 September 30, 2025, will be available online by the end of October. 00:05:23.689 --> 00:05:28.299 Separately, the OPM confirmed the continuation of the 2025 Combined 00:05:28.299 --> 00:05:33.059 Federal Campaign (CFC), which allows federal employees and military 00:05:33.059 --> 00:05:35.290 personnel to support charitable causes. 00:05:35.790 --> 00:05:40.039 The campaign is running from October 1, 2025, to December 31, 00:05:40.039 --> 00:05:43.549 2025, despite the ongoing shutdown. 00:05:44.200 --> 00:05:47.619 OPM noted that it is currently reviewing the program’s administrative 00:05:47.619 --> 00:05:51.840 costs and participation rates, signaling that potential changes may 00:05:51.840 --> 00:05:54.799 be implemented for the 2026 campaign. 00:05:55.447 --> 00:05:57.937 Issues That Affect Retired Federal Workers 00:05:58.535 --> 00:06:01.735 2026 COLA Announcement Delayed by Shutdown 00:06:02.327 --> 00:06:06.628 The Social Security Administration (SSA) typically announces the COLA for the 00:06:06.628 --> 00:06:11.527 following year in mid-October, based on inflation data from the third quarter. 00:06:12.157 --> 00:06:18.537 The official announcement for the 2026 COLA was scheduled for October 15, 2025. 00:06:19.483 --> 00:06:23.654 However, the ongoing government shutdown caused a temporary halt to the data 00:06:23.654 --> 00:06:27.964 collection activities of the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 00:06:28.544 --> 00:06:32.864 Because the BLS was unable to finalize and release the September inflation 00:06:33.864 --> 00:06:38.023 report—specifically the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical 00:06:38.023 --> 00:06:43.933 Workers (CPI-W), which is the benchmark used for the COLA calculation—the official 00:06:43.933 --> 00:06:46.993 2026 COLA announcement has been delayed. 00:06:47.103 --> 00:06:51.314 While annuity payments themselves are not directly affected by the lapse in 00:06:51.314 --> 00:06:55.853 appropriations, the shutdown directly impacts the governmental function 00:06:56.124 --> 00:07:00.844 required to provide essential economic information, creating uncertainty for 00:07:00.844 --> 00:07:04.524 retirees attempting to budget for 2026. 00:07:05.141 --> 00:07:07.242 COLA Projection and FERS Disparity 00:07:07.831 --> 00:07:11.162 Despite the delay in the official announcement, the latest available 00:07:11.162 --> 00:07:16.872 data, specifically the August 2025 CPI-W figure, provides a strong 00:07:16.872 --> 00:07:18.832 indication of the impending COLA rate. 00:07:19.311 --> 00:07:23.511 The running tally toward the 2026 COLA reached 2.78 00:07:23.511 --> 00:07:27.851 percent, calculated by comparing the average third-quarter CPI-W 00:07:28.081 --> 00:07:29.991 to the same period in 2024. 00:07:31.002 --> 00:07:32.351 While this 2.78 00:07:32.351 --> 00:07:36.182 percent figure is a positive indication, it must be viewed in the context 00:07:36.182 --> 00:07:37.792 of the retirement system rules. 00:07:38.381 --> 00:07:42.741 If the finalized rate remains near this projection, the full 2.78 00:07:42.741 --> 00:07:46.202 percent would be applied to annuities under the CSRS. 00:07:46.771 --> 00:07:50.771 However, FERS retirees are subject to different rules: if the rise 00:07:50.771 --> 00:07:52.952 in the CPI-W is between 2.0% 00:07:52.952 --> 00:07:53.851 and 3.0%, 00:07:54.292 --> 00:07:56.572 the FERS COLA is capped at 2.0%. 00:07:57.374 --> 00:08:02.454 This FERS-CSRS disparity is highly relevant when viewed alongside the 12.3% 00:08:02.454 --> 00:08:06.214 FEHB premium increase announced on October 9. 00:08:06.773 --> 00:08:10.023 A FERS annuitant receiving a mandatory 2.0% 00:08:10.094 --> 00:08:13.504 COLA would see the overwhelming majority of that adjustment, and 00:08:13.504 --> 00:08:16.643 potentially more, swallowed by the 12.3% 00:08:16.674 --> 00:08:21.024 rise in their health care premium share, resulting in a net decrease in their 00:08:21.024 --> 00:08:23.633 effective disposable income for 2026. 00:08:24.004 --> 00:08:28.444 This comparison illustrates how rising mandatory benefit costs can 00:08:28.444 --> 00:08:32.974 compound existing structural inequities within the federal retirement system. 00:08:33.623 --> 00:08:36.234 Legislative Update: Retirement Service Credit 00:08:36.859 --> 00:08:40.800 A piece of legislation aimed at addressing historical gaps in retirement 00:08:40.800 --> 00:08:43.039 credit remains pending in Congress. 00:08:43.620 --> 00:08:44.019 H.R. 00:08:44.019 --> 00:08:48.929 1522, known as the Federal Retirement Fairness Act, addresses a long-standing 00:08:48.929 --> 00:08:50.809 issue for many FERS employees. 00:08:51.899 --> 00:08:54.480 The bill seeks to amend Title 5 of the U.S. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:58.350 Code to allow civilian service performed in a temporary position 00:08:58.379 --> 00:09:03.930 after December 31, 1988, to be counted as creditable service under the 00:09:03.930 --> 00:09:06.090 Federal Employees Retirement System. 00:09:06.789 --> 00:09:10.569 For employees who held these temporary appointments early in their careers—often 00:09:11.190 --> 00:09:15.690 before converting to permanent status—this legislation is critical, 00:09:15.999 --> 00:09:20.280 as it would potentially allow them to "buy back" this time and increase 00:09:20.280 --> 00:09:24.860 their total service credit, thereby boosting their final annuity calculation. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.900 The bill was introduced on February 24, 2025. 00:09:29.389 --> 00:09:32.590 While no substantial action was reported during the week of October 00:09:32.590 --> 00:09:36.810 5 through 11, the bill remains active, with Representative Ms. 00:09:36.810 --> 00:09:41.650 Randall assuming first sponsorship in July 2025. 00:09:42.371 --> 00:09:44.832 Issues That Affect Current Federal Workers 00:09:45.429 --> 00:09:48.830 Shutdown Escalation: Missed Pay and Mass Layoff Notices 00:09:49.406 --> 00:09:54.595 By Friday, October 10, 2025, federal workers began missing their full, 00:09:54.595 --> 00:09:59.366 scheduled paychecks since the lapse in appropriations began on October 1. 00:09:59.956 --> 00:10:04.526 This financial milestone created severe strain across the workforce, which was 00:10:04.526 --> 00:10:09.136 simultaneously compounded by the threat of mass firings from the administration. 00:10:09.839 --> 00:10:14.629 On Friday, October 10, employees began receiving formal notices informing 00:10:14.629 --> 00:10:17.019 them they would be laid off in 60 days. 00:10:17.649 --> 00:10:22.339 CBS News confirmed that more than 4,000 workers across at least seven 00:10:22.339 --> 00:10:26.480 federal agencies—including the Department of Homeland Security, the 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:30.539 Department of Education, the Treasury, and the Department of Health and 00:10:30.539 --> 00:10:35.609 Human Services—could receive these Reduction in Force (RIF) notices. 00:10:36.246 --> 00:10:39.815 This RIF process, managed by the White House Office of Management and 00:10:39.815 --> 00:10:44.385 Budget (OMB) and OPM, signaled a clear intention to use the funding crisis 00:10:44.385 --> 00:10:46.256 to enact permanent structural cuts. 00:10:47.105 --> 00:10:51.305 OMB directed agencies to consider issuing RIF notices to employees in 00:10:51.305 --> 00:10:56.366 programs that satisfied three conditions: discretionary funding lapsed on October 00:10:56.366 --> 00:10:59.855 1, 2025; other funding (such as H.R. 00:10:59.855 --> 00:11:04.536 1) was unavailable; and, most tellingly, the program was not consistent 00:11:04.536 --> 00:11:06.206 with the President's priorities. 00:11:06.831 --> 00:11:10.931 The inclusion of the "President's priorities" criterion elevates the 00:11:10.931 --> 00:11:16.191 RIFs beyond typical budgetary necessity and transforms the shutdown into an 00:11:16.191 --> 00:11:20.371 attempt at permanent, ideologically driven workforce realignment. 00:11:21.092 --> 00:11:25.572 This context confirms the fears expressed by furloughed workers, who noted that 00:11:25.572 --> 00:11:29.511 while they had experienced furloughs before, this was the first time they 00:11:29.511 --> 00:11:33.472 were checking their email daily for threats of being "fired en masse". 00:11:34.078 --> 00:11:38.968 The issuance of mass RIF notices directly contradicts OPM’s stated goal, 00:11:39.277 --> 00:11:43.777 announced by Director Scott Kupor on October 7, to aggressively recruit 00:11:43.777 --> 00:11:45.618 highly skilled technical talent. 00:11:46.328 --> 00:11:50.558 The stability and longevity previously offered as a key recruiting narrative for 00:11:50.558 --> 00:11:55.208 government service is now demonstrably compromised by the ongoing mass 00:11:55.208 --> 00:11:59.417 layoff threats, which fundamentally complicates the agency’s ability to 00:11:59.417 --> 00:12:01.767 attract cutting-edge technology workers. 00:12:02.359 --> 00:12:05.099 Legislative Response: Emergency Relief for TSP 00:12:05.691 --> 00:12:09.282 In response to the dire financial situation created by the missed 00:12:09.282 --> 00:12:13.572 paychecks, Congressional Democrats introduced legislation designed to 00:12:13.572 --> 00:12:18.141 protect federal workers' retirement savings from the short-term crisis. 00:12:18.733 --> 00:12:22.533 Representative Don Beyer introduced the House version of the Emergency 00:12:22.533 --> 00:12:27.993 Relief for Federal Workers Act of 2025, with a companion bill introduced 00:12:27.993 --> 00:12:30.454 in the Senate by Senator Tim Kaine. 00:12:31.294 --> 00:12:34.174 The legislation attempts to alleviate immediate financial 00:12:34.174 --> 00:12:38.724 pressure by turning the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) into a protected 00:12:38.724 --> 00:12:40.933 emergency fund during the shutdown. 00:12:41.563 --> 00:12:45.634 The core provisions of the Act are highly specific to shutdown relief: 00:12:46.290 --> 00:12:50.419 Penalty-Free Withdrawals: The bill enables furloughed participants to 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:56.229 withdraw up to $30,000 from their TSP accounts without incurring the customary 00:12:56.229 --> 00:13:01.899 10% early withdrawal penalty, provided the shutdown lasts at least two weeks. 00:13:02.460 --> 00:13:06.599 While federal income taxes would still apply, waiving the penalty shields 00:13:06.599 --> 00:13:08.919 employees from the most punitive charge. 00:13:09.529 --> 00:13:13.820 Restoration of Funds: The legislation includes a critical provision allowing 00:13:13.820 --> 00:13:18.000 workers to put the funds they withdrew back into their TSP account later. 00:13:18.430 --> 00:13:22.970 This provision is vital, as standard TSP hardship withdrawals do not 00:13:22.970 --> 00:13:27.239 permit repayment, thereby ensuring that short-term financial necessity 00:13:27.430 --> 00:13:31.090 does not permanently compromise long-term retirement security. 00:13:32.359 --> 00:13:36.830 Loan Protection: The bill ensures that TSP loans remain available to 00:13:36.830 --> 00:13:41.570 affected employees, overriding the existing rule that often restricts 00:13:41.570 --> 00:13:46.090 loan access if a shutdown is expected to last longer than 30 days. 00:13:46.500 --> 00:13:50.279 Furthermore, it mandates that TSP loan payments, typically deducted 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:54.129 from payroll, must be automatically suspended during the shutdown. 00:13:54.590 --> 00:13:58.549 Once appropriations are restored, the missed payments would be deducted 00:13:58.549 --> 00:14:00.940 directly from the employee’s back pay. 00:14:01.010 --> 00:14:04.669 This also protects employees by prohibiting missed loan payments 00:14:04.669 --> 00:14:09.070 from becoming taxable distributions subject to the 10% penalty. 00:14:09.686 --> 00:14:12.766 Despite the importance of these protections, the bill was 00:14:12.766 --> 00:14:15.005 introduced exclusively by Democrats. 00:14:15.905 --> 00:14:19.615 Given the current political landscape, congressional analysts assess that the 00:14:19.615 --> 00:14:23.316 bill is highly unlikely to receive a vote from the Republican-controlled 00:14:23.316 --> 00:14:28.195 Congress, leaving employees reliant on the eventual, though legally 00:14:28.195 --> 00:14:30.736 guaranteed, promise of back pay. 00:14:31.450 --> 00:14:35.189 Structural Legislative Proposals Defining the Future Workforce 00:14:35.814 --> 00:14:39.903 Beyond the immediate shutdown crisis, several pieces of legislation 00:14:39.903 --> 00:14:44.333 were active this week, signaling a fundamental, long-term shift in the 00:14:44.333 --> 00:14:48.633 structure of federal pay, performance management, and working conditions. 00:14:49.301 --> 00:14:51.611 The 2026 Pay Raise Conflict 00:14:52.198 --> 00:14:56.597 The debate over the 2026 pay raise intensified this week in light of the 00:14:56.597 --> 00:14:58.898 massive premium increases announced. 00:14:59.698 --> 00:15:06.028 On August 28, 2025, the President issued an Alternative Pay Plan for January 2026, 00:15:06.498 --> 00:15:11.457 which overrides the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA) formula that had 00:15:11.457 --> 00:15:13.857 called for a much higher overall increase. 00:15:13.898 --> 00:15:16.768 The President's plan dictates a 1.0% 00:15:16.768 --> 00:15:22.488 base increase and freezes locality pay rates at 2025 levels for the vast majority 00:15:22.488 --> 00:15:24.298 of General Schedule (GS) employees. 00:15:24.895 --> 00:15:29.426 The administration made one notable exception: OPM was directed to use 00:15:29.426 --> 00:15:33.585 its Special Salary Rate authority to provide an additional 2.8% 00:15:33.585 --> 00:15:36.906 pay increase to certain law enforcement personnel, ensuring they 00:15:36.906 --> 00:15:39.545 receive a total increase of 3.8%. 00:15:40.305 --> 00:15:41.655 This 3.8% 00:15:41.655 --> 00:15:46.396 increase aligns with the planned military pay increase for 2026, but 00:15:46.396 --> 00:15:50.325 the decision to restrict this parity break tradition and restrict the 00:15:50.325 --> 00:15:53.196 majority of the workforce to a 1.0% 00:15:53.226 --> 00:15:55.716 raise is a major point of contention. 00:15:56.390 --> 00:16:00.530 The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) argues that the current 00:16:00.530 --> 00:16:06.159 federal salary average is 27% below comparable private sector jobs and has 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:11.340 endorsed legislation that would provide all federal employees with a 4.3% 00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:13.260 pay adjustment in 2026. 00:16:13.790 --> 00:16:15.719 By providing only a 1.0% 00:16:15.749 --> 00:16:18.899 raise while civilian employees face a 12.3% 00:16:18.899 --> 00:16:22.210 hike in health care premiums, the administration's pay plan 00:16:22.210 --> 00:16:26.249 effectively guarantees a significant net decrease in spending power, 00:16:26.579 --> 00:16:30.409 directly undermining workforce recruitment and retention efforts. 00:16:31.141 --> 00:16:33.221 Performance, Pay, and Cuts Legislation 00:16:33.787 --> 00:16:37.317 Two key House bills introduced this year seek to restructure 00:16:37.317 --> 00:16:38.858 the workforce permanently: 00:16:39.423 --> 00:16:39.814 H.R. 00:16:39.814 --> 00:16:45.873 201: Federal Employee Performance and Accountability Act of 2025: This bill 00:16:45.873 --> 00:16:50.543 proposes establishing a pilot program that fundamentally ties compensation to 00:16:50.543 --> 00:16:55.533 performance ratings, moving away from the traditional GS steps and locality system. 00:16:56.174 --> 00:17:00.113 Under this program, employees who significantly exceed established 00:17:00.113 --> 00:17:03.863 performance metrics would receive a pay increase of up to 10%. 00:17:04.343 --> 00:17:07.564 Conversely, those who rate below expectations would face a 00:17:07.564 --> 00:17:10.023 mandatory 10% reduction in pay. 00:17:10.664 --> 00:17:14.384 A key structural change is that employees participating in this pilot 00:17:14.564 --> 00:17:18.714 would become explicitly ineligible for the annual or locality-based pay 00:17:18.714 --> 00:17:22.953 increases authorized under current law, transforming the GS structure 00:17:23.183 --> 00:17:25.293 into a high-risk, high-reward model. 00:17:26.723 --> 00:17:27.123 H.R. 00:17:27.123 --> 00:17:30.934 200 (Untitled): Pay Freeze and Reduction Mandate: This bill 00:17:30.934 --> 00:17:34.243 mandates a hard, structural reduction in the federal workforce. 00:17:34.653 --> 00:17:38.383 It prohibits increasing the basic pay of any federal employee 00:17:38.383 --> 00:17:40.244 for one year after enactment. 00:17:40.763 --> 00:17:44.944 Furthermore, it prohibits each federal agency from increasing its number of 00:17:44.944 --> 00:17:49.884 employees beyond the level employed on the date of enactment, except for specific 00:17:49.884 --> 00:17:54.354 positions related to law enforcement, public safety, or national security. 00:17:55.204 --> 00:18:00.024 This bill, if enacted, would codify a permanent workforce reduction requirement 00:18:00.353 --> 00:18:05.044 through attrition and mandatory cuts, reinforcing the political intent behind 00:18:05.044 --> 00:18:07.053 the RIFs seen during the shutdown. 00:18:07.718 --> 00:18:08.738 Telework Scrutiny 00:18:09.315 --> 00:18:12.906 Another structural component of modern federal employment is facing 00:18:12.906 --> 00:18:14.676 intense scrutiny in Congress. 00:18:15.355 --> 00:18:15.616 S. 00:18:15.616 --> 00:18:21.076 82, the Telework Reform Act of 2025, introduced by Senator Lankford, 00:18:21.175 --> 00:18:24.996 proposes amendments to Title 5 aimed at heavily restricting and 00:18:24.996 --> 00:18:26.876 monitoring telework eligibility. 00:18:27.505 --> 00:18:30.466 The bill mandates several new requirements for agencies: 00:18:31.422 --> 00:18:34.732 Telework agreements must be limited to a period of one year 00:18:34.971 --> 00:18:36.922 and reviewed at least annually. 00:18:37.772 --> 00:18:41.322 Policies must be established to address the extent to which telework 00:18:41.402 --> 00:18:46.352 may be restricted based on performance deficiencies or disciplinary action. 00:18:46.915 --> 00:18:51.236 Agencies must establish systems to confirm that employees are working 00:18:51.236 --> 00:18:55.516 solely at approved worksites and provide mandatory annual training 00:18:55.766 --> 00:18:59.745 that includes accurate reporting of remote work and telework usage. 00:19:00.382 --> 00:19:04.991 The bill further stipulates that these new requirements could override existing 00:19:04.991 --> 00:19:08.341 collective bargaining agreements, although current agreements would 00:19:08.341 --> 00:19:13.322 remain enforceable until they expire or become subject to renegotiation. 00:19:13.912 --> 00:19:18.141 This legislation signals a sustained effort to roll back the flexibility 00:19:18.371 --> 00:19:23.641 that many federal employees rely on, despite telework being a critical factor 00:19:23.641 --> 00:19:26.002 in workforce retention and morale. 00:19:26.555 --> 00:19:30.166 And that’s a wrap on this week’s Federal Workforce Roundup. 00:19:30.856 --> 00:19:35.076 The landscape for federal employees and retirees is constantly shifting, 00:19:35.385 --> 00:19:39.555 with major decisions being made about everything from pay and job security 00:19:39.736 --> 00:19:43.606 to retirement benefits and the very structure of the civil service. 00:19:44.315 --> 00:19:46.796 Staying informed is your best tool. 00:19:47.216 --> 00:19:51.255 Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an update. 00:19:51.906 --> 00:19:52.836 Thanks for tuning in. 00:19:52.836 --> 00:19:55.786 We’ll be back next week to track the latest developments 00:19:55.836 --> 00:19:57.156 and what they mean for you. 00:19:57.495 --> 00:20:00.706 Until then, stay engaged and be well.