I.

Welcome – Guidelines for Building Evacuation and Shelter-In-Place Conditions

Jody Nyers

Don’t forget to sign in…

II.

Update on NFC Status

A. Update of outstanding action items

Gary Gaspard

4 action items added to the list

B. Current Status

Jerry Lohfink

We are in a reconstitution brought on by post Katrina and 2 RIFs. We lost 240 employees, but hope to have 100 vacancies filled by 6/9. The functions at NFC most impacted include: retirement, accounting, separations, cancellations and waivers. Jerry provided a handout of the status of backlogs.

C. COOP/Pandemic Briefing Scheduled for June 28

On June 28 th, Jerry will present a walk through of our COOP process in the Jefferson Auditorium. There have been some fundamental changes since Katrina and it would be worth the effort to come. Not only will he describe our hurricane procedure, but also a procedure in case of a pandemic episode. Further information regarding this briefing will be distributed at a later date.

New Item – Data Center

We were scheduled to select a new data center by the end of June, however, Jerry briefed USDA on a potential site and it may be settled by the end of May. Operating costs of the proposed site should be close to current operating costs.

D. Earnings and Leave update

Including Government portion of benefits

The White House has requested the addition of government contributions to the Earnings and Leave statements. The problem for NFC is that we do not derive government contributions at the same time we run PAYE - it is done after. To meet the OPM mandate, will require changes at NFC. Jerry presented four options for customer input:

1. make appropriate system changes – would require a redesign of the process, reassignment of staff, later mailing of E&L statements, and extra mailing cost
2. include government contributions on a separate page – would delay in mailing of E&L statement and posting on the EPP
3. send E&L statement as currently done, include government contributions in a separate mailing – increased mailing costs
4. continue to send current E&L statement, post government contributions to the EPP only

All four options would also include posting government contributions to the Reporting Center for agency use.

Q. In addition to the dollar amount can we also show a percentage – i.e., what percentage of health benefits….?

A. Different customers have different %’s , so it may be difficult

Q. What would be some examples of what would be reported?

A. For some it would be: health, life, 401K, retirement, social security

Q. Smithsonian have additional contributions…

A. NFC will have to work with the agencies who have special needs

Q. Has NFC spoken to the unions about this?

A. No, it is up to the agency to speak with unions, this will be an edict from OPM that we must follow.

Q. When would you like a response to this?

A. By the end of the month.

Jerry thanked everyone for their time and attention and requested the four options be sent to the CAPPS community with a fax number to get back to him.

III.

Table 72 Updates for EHRI Data Feed

Gary Gaspard

The development group is looking at the SF 50 and finding erroneous or blank fields in the approving official and title section. Please verify your agency data on table 72 and if incorrect, please send your corrections to Nick Sicomo’s group at NFC. PP09 is the target implementation date, so please act quickly. It may be wise to add this (and table 63 updates) to an annual checklist.

Q. Is EHRI the same as ERI?

A. No, EHRI is Enterprise Human Resource Interface, a data warehouse.

IV.

STAR Web 5.0

Randy Speed

A. Quality Acceptance Testing – June 19

In the system status update dated 5/8 we requested a list of persons interested in testing 5.0. Please submit names now.

V.

OPM Changes to Legal Authority Citations

Jo Bonner

On 4/28 OPM provided a change to legal authority codes that will have a huge impact to our processors beginning pp10. No longer will authority codes populate, but will need to be input in the system for non-title 5 agencies.

Q. When was this issued?

A. 4/28 – it was an email update – quick index

Q. Will NFC put out a bulletin?

A. We are working on a bulletin, but do not have a timeframe for completion.

Q. What pay period will this begin?

A. It will implement in PP10, retroactive to 4/30/06.

Q. So, M2M authority code will be blank and require input?

A. Yes, but don’t think it is just M2M, there are 16 of them.

Q. Will FESI be updated?

A. It may not be necessary since you are currently sending it – it will continue as is.

VI.

Benefits Update

Jody Nyers

A. Retirement Processing

She spoke with Patrick Foret and retirement processing is getting better every day. The backlog remains in non-annuitant separations. He is beginning to fill the vacancies in his area. He has requested agencies to submit refund requests at the time of separation if the agency knows the employee intends to request a refund. It will help to move the process along a little quicker. Jody will share transmittal sheets with the CAPPs community and the benefits workgroup.

ACTION ITEM: When will extra lump sums be paid out (lump sums given around pay adjustment).

B. TSP Elected Deferral Limits

Annual reminder that some employees may be reaching their $15,000 limit. Please be aware of these employees now, so problems can be avoided.

C. Health Savings Accounts

Be on the lookout for Health Savings Accounts. It will be managed by a 3rd party and attached to highly deducted health plans. There will be pre-tax benefits and limitations.

Q. What about dental/vision?

A. Dental/vison plans will happen with open season in January, we just don’t know with who.

VII.

Customer Outreach

Theresa Trentacoste/

Showcasing HRLOB services

Gary Gaspard

NFC would like to showcase more of our products (i.e., the May STAR 5.0 demo). In the past this occurred at the Customer Forums, but now that there is currently an annual meeting (the next one is scheduled for mid November), we do not want to limit our product visibility. So we will showcase EmpowHR the week of June 19th – a customer notification will be sent out. If there is a product or a process you would like to have someone come in and showcase, email your CSR.

Q. June 21 st is the next CAPPs meeting – a demo in the afternoon would allow those in for CAPPs to participate. How did STAR 5.0 work? Did people show?

A. We had to turn people away, so we are looking at holding our show cases in the Jefferson Auditorium or possibly ask people to RSVP to determine a need for two back-to-back sessions.

VIII.

Processing the CSRS Offset 29s

Debbie Tatum

All the kinks have been worked out and the CSRS offset 29s will be processed for PP09.

Q. What if I have a specific situation?

A. Call or email Debbie directly.

ACTION ITEM: Have all CSRs resend the list of CSRS Offset 29s.

IX.

Data Base Change

Gary Gaspard

The May 15 th deadline for submission of DB changes has passed. We are in the process of reviewing all agency requests. The goal is to have a list of the elements changing in time for the next CAPPs meeting.

Q. When will the new FESI layouts be available?

A. We can’t determine the FESI changes until we nail down the DB elements that will be changing.

Find a date for the determination of the FESI layout or provide the FESI layout at next CAPPs meeting.

X.

User and Workgroup Updates

A. Benefits Workgroup – Thursday, May 18, 2006

Jody Nyers

Will be held at 9:30 a.m. Head’s up Long Term Care insert will be posted in PP10. (Federal Employees, only)

XI.

Potpourri

Q. Will their be a new version of EPIC with the DB change?

A. There is a potential for that – analysis will be done once the elements are nailed down – so it is yet to be determined.

Q. Retention allowance – we processed one 827 and it applied, but it didn't show on IRIS 122.

A. IRIS 123 and IRIS 109 should only show the percentage.

Q. Our 827’s showed and amount and a percentage – but not on IR122, then only one showed just a percentage.

A. Please send an example of this to Jo Bonner through email

Q. Anything on Recruitment?

A. Haven’t heard back yet.

Q. Has anyone else had a problem getting HCUP to go down on pay retention?

A. Jo’s seen one problem – please send the ssn to her (Johanna is doing some research as well).

Q. I am getting a error message “not eligible for retained pay.”

A. It is combined base and scheduled salary.

Q. What’s going on with the EPIC work group?

A. We are looking at ways to resurrect it and are working with an agency to chair it.

Q. Can we find the outstanding issues from the past?

A. Let’s get the chair first, then I’m sure we can find something.

Q. What is the programming for PRDT – how will it affect pay raise in January – does it apply to base and freeze locality?

A. Send in a GESD Request to have the programmers pull the code and find out.

Q. What is the turn around time for an FRD?

A. It depends; you would only get an FRD if a cost is involved. You can always write GESD Request for a status, if it seems long, but we have a lot of work on out plate right now. Please give us plenty of lead-time for an urgent request.

Q. When will we bring the T&A work group back?

A. Currently NFC is experiencing a resource issue, but the user group can still get together without an NFC chair. Someone needs to take the ball and run with it.