In summary, we have reported that the perception that many retirement-age beneficiaries were receiving more generous benefits on FECA had generated two alternative proposals to change benefits once beneficiaries reach the age at which retirement typically occurs: (1) converting FECA benefits to retirement benefits and, (2) changing FECA wage-loss benefits by establishing a new FECA annuity. We al

GAO supports moving forward with appropriate human capital reforms and believes that implementing more market-based and performance-oriented pay systems is both doable and desirable. Importantly, broad-based human capital reform must be part of a broader strategy of change management and performance improvement initiatives and cannot be simply overlaid on existing ineffective performance manageme

GAO noted that: (1) the personnel demonstration project authority provided by the Civil Service Reform Act has been put to only limited use; (2) there is some question as to whether this authority has accomplished, to the appropriate extent, the purpose for which it was intended--that is, determining whether specific changes in personnel management policies or procedures would result in improved

GAO discussed the implications of the Omnibus Civil Service Reform Act of 1996 on the redress system for federal employees. GAO noted that: (1) the proposed legislation would eliminate jurisdictional overlap between the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); (2) EEOC would be in charge of investigating the merits of individual EEOC complaints

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined whether Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) officials engaged in activities with mining industry executives to discredit proposed legislation affecting MSHA. GAO noted that: (1) MSHA officials reported that they actively communicated their opposition to the proposed legislation, but they did not urge anyone to contact congressional repres

GAO discussed proposed legislation that would direct the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish a governmentwide interagency placement program (IPP) for displaced federal employees affected by reductions in force (RIF). GAO noted that: (1) it fully supports the bill's goal of placing RIF employees in other federal jobs; (2) RIF workers can be a valuable resource to federal agencies bec

GAO discussed the proposed Federal Employees Family Friendly Leave Act. GAO noted that: (1) allowing spouses to share leave could be beneficial to their families; (2) the leave-sharing bill would not change the total amount of leave available to federal employees or the discretion of federal agencies to grant or deny annual leave; (3) federal employees have expressed considerable interest in the

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided an estimate of the costs of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, focusing on: (1) eligibility and length of leave allowed; (2) health insurance coverage and employer costs; and (3) the size of the population that would be eligible to take leave under the proposal. GAO noted that: (1) employer costs of continuing health insurance coverage for

GAO discussed the public and private sector's policies and practices for advance notice of business closures and mass layoffs. GAO noted that: (1) Congress enacted legislation that required states to organize local assistance response teams to encourage the establishment of labor-management committees to help implement assistance to dislocated workers; (2) Congress enacted legislation requiring l

GAO discussed the proposed Federal Pay Reform Act of 1990, focusing on the need to reform federal pay-setting principles and processes and restore competition with nonfederal salary rates. GAO found that: (1) noncompetitive salary rates are a major cause of federal recruitment and retention difficulties; (2) unlimited presidential prerogatives over salary schedule adjustments will not provide ade