Collective bargaining in the Federal service is not the same as it is in the private sector. Oh, there are many similarities, but the fundamental issues of pay, benefits, management rights, etc. are ...

Federal retirement rules are often misunderstood, even by employees who have spent decades in federal service. Three misconceptions in particular come up repeatedly: whether you need to apply for the ...

A group of 110 lawmakers, including 12 senators and 98 House members, sent a letter to congressional leadership on September 21 urging Congress to reject the Trump administration’s proposed 2027 pay ...

An important feature for FedSmith readers every year is the annual announcement of the COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) for the coming year. While we keep readers up to date throughout the year on how ...

Federal employees converted into Schedule Policy/Career will not serve the standard one-year probationary period that comes with most federal positions. That might sound like good news, but impacted ...

Beginning January 28, 2026, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) will finally allow participants to complete Roth conversions—the ability to move money from a traditional (pre-tax) TSP balance into the Roth ...

This appeal involves a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee who was removed by the agency. (Nathan v. Merit Systems Protection Board, USCAFC No. 2025-1260 (nonprecedential) January 7, 2026).

For many federal employees, reaching Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years of service feels like the reward for decades of hard work. The pension begins. The FERS Retirement Supplement may help ...

The journey to a successful retirement as a federal employee under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) is a marathon, not a sprint. The most common concern for those approaching the finish ...

This article has been updated. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) has taken a decisive step to make it easier for federal employees to stop paying union dues. Federal labor relations cases ...

Many federal employees believe their Thrift Savings Plan operates like a private-sector 401(k). They assume that once they reach retirement, they can freely decide how and when to draw down their ...

Part 3 of a 3-part series on federal employees who occupy positions that are subject to “special provisions.” The third job on the list is Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs). An ATC, or Air Traffic ...