Congress passed a 2.6 percent salary increase for federal employees effective Jan. 1, 2020 as part of the recent $1.4 trillion spending package. This will fully fund the federal government until Sept. 30, 2020.
It included increasing overall spending by another $50 billion. Then the President signed it into law. Based upon end of year personnel evaluations, they are also eligible for cash awards ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars or more.
There is also a bonus in grade step increases rather than waiting for periodic automatic in grade step increases. These raise the base salary between one to two thousand dollars. They receive monthly transit checks to help pay for commuting by public transportation to work. This can average one to two hundred dollars monthly.
They usually pay for weekly or monthly bus, subway or commuter rail tickets. These transit passes can be used after work evenings and weekends for non-work related travel. Contrast all of the above with the meager 1.6 percent cost of living increases for retired federal employees enrolled in the old Civil Service Retirement or newer Federal Retirement systems along with millions more Americans on Social Security.
The current COLA calculation for retired federal employees and those on Social Security fails to accurately measure seniors spending. In 2019, spending by seniors for health Insurance went up 18.6 percent. Many retired people in their 60s and 70s are taking care of parents, aunt, uncles, older brothers and sisters as more and more people are living into their 80s and 90s.
Others serve as parents to grandchildren and foster kids. The 2020 COLA of 1.6 percent will be insufficient to keep up with various costs that have grown at a higher rate. Isn’t it only fair that the Congress and president offer retired federal employees and those on Social Security the same cost of living increases as current federal employees?
Something was also missing concerning giving federal employees 12 weeks paid parental leave. As usual, no one ever identifies how Uncle Sam will find $5.5 billion to pay for this new program. Like most entitlement programs, once approved, it will quickly grow by billions over coming years. Over time, twelve weeks will expand by many more weeks.
Washington currently carries $23.1 trillion in long term debt. This is anticipated to grow by $1 trillion per year over the next decade. Isn’t it time we consider pay as you go for any new spending?
Within a $4 trillion-plus annual federal budget, why can’t the president and Congress agree on finding a $5.5 billion offset from another program to pay for family leave?
Federal employees earn four hours sick leave and four hours annual leave for every two week pay period. There are 26 pay periods per year. After working three years, annual leave grows to six hours every two week pay period. After working 15 years, annual leave grows to eight hours every two week pay period.
Many federal employees are allowed to telecommute or work from home up to 4 days every two weeks. They can carry up to 240 hours annual and any amount of unused sick leave from one year to the next. Federal employees are allowed to donate annual leave to colleagues who face medical emergencies.
Supervisors can advance employees’ future anticipated accrued leave within any calendar year. Unfortunately, employees are not allowed to donate accumulated sick leave.
Why not introduce legislation allowing federal employees to donate both annual and sick leave to colleagues who have insufficient accumulated leave time to remain on payroll during maternity leave?
Why not ask employees who are planning on having a family deduct a small portion of their paycheck to fund a maternity leave program just as they do 401K retirement accounts?
Both Democrats and Republicans in Washington remind me of J. Wellington Wimpy who famously said: “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”
Tuesday may never come for taxpayers who have to pay for all the goodies promised by today’s generation of federal elected officials from both parties within their lifetime.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
(Larry Penner is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who previously worked 31 years for the US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration)
