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I invite you and your staff to attend a forum from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on August 3, 2005, to discuss the Federal student loan repayment program. The forum will be held in the Campbell Auditorium at the Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC. The General Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report on the Federal student loan repayment program and made a number of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the program.
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Thank you for your continued response to the Office of Personnel Management's survey of security measures in place at Federal workplaces. We remain committed to helping agencies prepare for emergencies so that we can protect Federal employees and ensure the continuity of critical Government operations. I am very pleased by the results of the survey. Each year we see a significant increase in agencies' emergency planning efforts. This year, a total of 85 responses were received.
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Many parts of the United States must occasionally cope with severe weather emergencies and natural disasters, frequently with little warning. Such emergencies are often dangerous and extremely disruptive for those who live in the affected communities. As "hurricane season" is upon us, this memorandum advises you of the various human resources (HR) flexibilities currently available that will allow you to assist Federal employees affected by severe weather emergencies and natural disasters and their aftermath.
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The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently issued interim regulations that amend the rules governing pay setting for employees covered by the General Schedule. (See Attachment This is a PDF formatted document.) The interim regulations implement section 301 of the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004 (the Act) (Public Law 108-411, October 30, 2004), which amends provisions in 5 U.S.C. chapter 53 relating to the administration of special rates, locality rates, and retained rates.
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The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing interim regulations to significantly enhance the recruitment, relocation, and retention payment authorities. (See Attachment 1.) These regulations implement section 101(a) of the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-411, October 30, 2004), which provides agencies with the flexibility to use these authorities strategically to improve the Federal Government's ability to recruit and retain a high quality workforce.
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As a result of the amendments made by section 301 of the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-411, October 30, 2004), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is changing a number of the special rate schedules established under 5 U.S.C. 5305. These changes are effective on May 1, 2005. Revised special rate tables are identified by a May 1, 2005, effective date. Increased Maximum Special Rate Under 5 U.S.C.
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President George W. Bush has again designated April as National Donate Life Month. This comes at a time when there are, today, more than 88,000 people awaiting organ donations. Each day, about 75 Americans receive a transplant, but another 18 on the waiting list die because not enough organs are available, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. In order to help meet this great need, ourNation's organ and tissue donor program is a strategic partnership between the Federal Government and private, non-profit organizations.
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The funeral for Pope John Paul II will be held on Friday, April 8, 2005. Some Federal employees may wish to participate in the observance of Pope John Paul's funeral service. Agencies may approve an employee's request for leave or other time off from work on Friday to the extent that the employee's absence from work does not interfere with the efficient accomplishment of an agency's mission or the employee is not needed at work for reasons of national security, defense, or other essential public business.
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Thank you for your many efforts to improve the nation's emergency preparedness. A key factor in ensuring that the government can continue its operations is protecting the safety of our employees. For the third year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is conducting an Emergency Preparedness Self Assessment Survey of efforts to protect employees. In June 2004, the Department of Homeland Security issued Federal Preparedness Circular 65 (http://www.fema.gov/onsc/docs/fpc_65.pdf).
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Section 203 of the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-411, October 30, 2004) authorized a new form of compensatory time off for time spent by an employee in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. (See CPM 2004-22, November 1, 2004). The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently issued interim regulations implementing this new provision (copy attached).
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As you know, a number of streets in and around the White House Ellipse will be closed during the day on Wednesday, January 19, 2005, to accommodate the Presidential Inaugural "Celebration of Freedom" event. The Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) memorandum of January 11, 2004, advised agencies to encourage employees to use the work scheduling flexibilities available to them to take time off from work and avoid the anticipated major traffic congestion in the downtown Washington, D.C., area.
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