Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

The story of Presidents’ Day date begins in 1800. Following President George Washington’s death in 1799, his February 22 birthday became a perennial day of remembrance. At the time, Washington was venerated as the most important figure in American history, and events like the 1832 centennial of his birth and the start of construction of the Washington Monument in 1848 were cause for national celebration.

While Washington’s Birthday was an unofficial observance for most of the 1800s, it was not until the late 1870s that it became a federal holiday. Senator Steven Wallace Dorsey of Arkansas was the first to propose the measure, and in 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law. The holiday initially only applied to the District of Columbia, but in 1885 it was expanded to the whole country. At the time, Washington’s Birthday joined four other nationally recognized federal bank holidays—Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Independence Day and Thanksgiving—and was the first to celebrate the life of an individual American. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, signed into law in 1983, would be the second.

Information courtesy of www.history.com. Visit the site to learn more.

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Presidents’ Day [Web page content]. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/presidents-day

Federally Employed Women (FEW) asks that you contact your legislators and urge them to co-sponsor and support the Resolutions in both the House and Senate that remove the deadline for States to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution and/or begin the process that states:

 “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Priority should be given to passage of the ERA since full legal equality under the United States Constitution is essential for women to be equal partners and participants in our society.

While women certainly enjoy more rights today than they did when the ERA was first introduced in 1923 or when it passed out of Congress in 1972, hard-won laws against sex discrimination do not rest on any unequivocal constitutional foundation. They can be inconsistently enforced or even repealed. Elements of sex discrimination remain in statutory and case law, and courts have had difficulty applying a consistent standard to gender-based classification.

Four separate bills have been introduced (two in the House and two in the Senate) covering the two different approaches cited above. FEW supports either approach to achieve the end result – full equality. Therefore, we are asking legislators to support both Resolutions in their respective chambers.

Get involved in this important issue and help ensure that women receive full and equal rights in our nation. We can make a difference.  Simply get involved through CapWiz. Click on the Take Action button in the Featured Alert area and fill in your information to have your letters sent automatically.

If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to contact Washington Premier Group at 202-670-2298, or tsaunders@washingtonpremiergroup.net.

 

Letter-House-

As your constituent and a member of Federally Employed Women (FEW), I urge you to co-sponsor the Equal Rights Amendment Resolutions (H.J. Res 33) that was introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY) which would restart the process of passing the ERA, and H.J. Res 53 that was introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (CA), would remove the deadline for States to pass the original ERA.

I firmly believe that priority should be given to passage of the ERA, in any form, since full legal equality under the United States Constitution is essential for women to be equal partners and participants in our society.

While women have made great strides, there is still a long way to go. Among the real problems still facing women are: the glass ceiling, wage gap, occupation gap and sexual harassment issues. Further, nine out of ten Americans support equal rights for women and men. This Amendment simply establishes a legal requirement that women be treated the same as men. There is no legitimate argument against this provision. Women deserve to be treated fairly and equally in the workplace, as well as in all other parts of our economy and society.

Now is the time to show half of the American citizenry and voting public that they are completely equal to the other half.

If you need more information about this issue, please contact the FEW Representative, Tonya Saunders with Washington Premier Group, at 202-670-2298, or via email at tsaunders@few.org.

 

Letter Senate-

As your constituent and a member of Federally Employed Women (FEW), I urge you to co-sponsor to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Resolutions (S.J. Res 6) that was introduced by Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ) and (S.J. Res 5) that was introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (MD). S.J. Res 6 would restart the process of passing the ERA while S.J. Res 5 would remove the deadline for States to pass ERA.

I firmly believe that priority should be given to passage of the ERA, in any form, since full legal equality under the United States Constitution is essential for women to be equal partners and participants in our society.

While women have made great strides, there is still a long way to go. Among the real problems still facing women: the glass ceiling, wage gap, occupation gap and sexual harassment. Further, nine out of ten Americans support equal rights for women and men. This Amendment simply establishes a legal requirement that women be treated the same as men. There is no legitimate argument against this provision. Women deserve to be treated fairly and equally in the workplace, as well as in all other parts of our economy and society.

Now is the time to show half of the American citizenry and voting public that they are completely equal to the other half.

If you need more information about this issue, please contact the FEW Representative Tonya Saunders with Washington Premier Group, at 202-670-2298, or via email at tsaunders@few.org.

 

In 2003, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute took action against a disease that was claiming the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year – a disease that women weren’t paying attention to. A disease they truly believed, and many still believe to this day, affects more men than women.

Stemming from that action, National Wear Red Day was born. It’s held on the first Friday in February every year to raise awareness about heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women.

This coming National Wear Red Day, Feb. 3, 2017, will mark 15 years since the initial National Wear Red Day, which was first observed to bring national attention to the fact that heart disease is the #1 killer of women, and to raise awareness of women’s heart health.  And looking back on all we’ve accomplished, we’ve really made tremendous strides. They include:

• Nearly 90% of women have made at least one healthy behavior change.
• More than one-third of women has lost weight.
• More than 50% of women have increased their exercise.
• 6 out of 10 women have changed their diets.
• More than 40% of women have checked their cholesterol levels.
• One third of women has talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans.
• Today, nearly 300 fewer women die from heart disease and stroke each day.
• Death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years.

But despite our progress, more work is crucial. 1 in 3 women die of heart disease and stroke each year. But what’s more powerful? Millions of mothers, sisters, daughters and friends making a change.

Information courtesy of GoRedforWomen.org. Visit the site to read more and view the calendar of events.

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Behind National Wear Red Day [web page content]. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from https://www.goredforwomen.org/get-involved/national-wear-red-day/national-wear-red-day/

5 Signs You Are a Great Leader

GovLoop
Published: January 11, 2017
By:  Richard Regan

Barry Posner, a professor at Santa Clara University and co-author of the book, “The Leadership Challenge,” claims there are five things that separate good leaders from bad leaders.

According to Posner, good leaders:

Model the Way
They have clarified their values, they have affirmed their values and they have aligned their values with actions. When asked, “Who are you as a leader?” they have an immediate answer. They understand that actions speak louder than words.

Inspire a Shared Vision
They see a better world by imagining and enabling endless possibilities. They have convinced their people to join their vision of a brighter future by connecting with their shared aspirations. In other words, they know where they are going.

Wayne Gretzky, one of the best hockey players to ever lace up skates said the difference in a good hockey player and a great hockey player is the distinction of knowing where the puck will be is as opposed to knowing where the puck is. Great leaders can anticipate great things. They build trust among their people that if they get to the right spot, their teammates will set them up for success.

Like a great point guard in basketball, a great leader has enough vision to see the play develop before it happens.
They do not let volatility, uncertainty, change or ambiguity impair their vision. They can lead in the fog. Despite challenges, they provide enough clarity to their followers to stay the course. They see the bigger picture. They have insight as well as outsight.

Challenge the Process
This leadership value is the Achilles heel of most government managers. They forfeit the opportunity to seize the initiative to think out of the box for continuous improvement. They let the bureaucracy and compliance cultures blind them to experimentation and risk taking.

Good leaders look beyond their job descriptions for improvement even if it challenges the status quo. They understand that leadership is about learning from doing while making mistakes and encountering failure.
Most importantly, they model these behaviors for their people as they challenge them to grow and develop by being receptive to innovation and creativity outside their own experiences.

Enable Others to Act
This may be the most important leadership value as great leaders build trust and collaboration among their direct reports. Once they get their oxygen mask on, they help their people find their life lines to self-determination and full potential. They ask their employees, “What do you need from me?” and then they get out of the way.

They create a sense of ownership among their colleagues where they can see their role in the success of the organization. They allow others to make choices about their work and exercise discretion over their actions. Their people feel like their inputs and viewpoints are consistently taken under consideration.

Encourage the Heart
Above average leaders recognize and appreciate their team members. They regularly celebrate achievements in a way that builds community. They avoid taking their people for granted. They create an atmosphere of positivity that open people’s hearts and minds to endless possibilities.

Not only to they recognize and appreciate their direct reports but they personalize it in a way that is consistent with their language of appreciation.

If you do some of these things as a leader, not only will you enhance your leadership; you will create incredible workplaces that deliver great results for our clients and customers as we lead them to a brighter tomorrow.

Friday, January 20, 2017 will see the swearing in of the 45th President of the United States.

Events begin on Thursday, with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by a concert near the Lincoln Memorial.

Inaugural festivities will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by the presidential procession and inaugural parade and an evening of official and unofficial balls around the District.

If you plan to attend any of these events, visit the USA Today for schedules, maps and advice for getting around the area this weekend.

Key Questions to Ask for Open Season Decisions
Published: November 23, 2016
Fedweek

Open Season is the time of year when you have the opportunity to make decisions about your benefits under the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

If you already have an FSAFEDS account, it will not continue automatically: you must re-enroll for 2017.

If you take no action, your current enrollment in FEDVIP and/or FEBH will continue automatically for 2017.  You will be subject to any changes in premiums, benefits, and service areas.

Following is a fact sheet from OPM on key questions that federal employees and retirees should ask when making benefits decisions in the open season.  Click here to read more.

Benefits, Employee Rights Issues on Table as Trump Transition Picks Up Pace
Published: November 23, 2016
Fedweek

 

While most of the focus on the presidential transition so far has been on structuring the transition team and identifying nominees for the highest-level positions, attention now is turning to individual agencies. So-called “landing teams” have started going to agencies where they will set up shop, get briefings about program, budget and other issues, and prepare for the handover of authority. That process too is starting with larger agencies and working down to the smaller ones. One issue being watched everywhere is the identity of the landing team members and what that might say about the policy intentions of the new administration—transition team members advise new appointees and commonly later get appointments themselves. For federal employees, the key agency is OPM, whose first task likely will be the general hiring freeze that the Trump administration is expected to quickly impose, with certain exceptions that will need to be defined. Longer-term, proposals going to the heart of the civil service are expected; these potentially include reductions in employee rights to challenge discipline, cuts to health insurance and retirement benefits, and a move away from across-the-board annual raises. A long-standing idea to provide newly hired employees with only an enhanced TSP benefit and no defined-benefit annuity recently resurfaced on Capitol Hill. Conservative groups have been pushing that idea recently, along with tying raises more closely to an employee’s performance—an idea last tried on a wide scale during the Bush administration and then quickly repealed by the Obama administration. The transition team has had little to say on federal employee issues beyond the position papers released during the campaign advocating a general hiring freeze and giving the VA greater powers to discipline employees, although it said that “reforming the federal bureaucracy” was among the topics addressed in recent meetings involving Trump, Vice President-Elect Michael Pence and outside advisers. While a hiring freeze could be imposed by an administrative order, most of the other changes would require action by Congress. The background and views of the new team at OPM—as well as at OMB and the White House staff—will play an important role in how the administration proceeds on those issues, and in particular whether they can gather enough support from Senate Democrats to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to pass most legislation there. So far no one’s name is in circulation to become OPM director.