The FED Weekly

The conversation focused on major federal workforce developments for the week of November 8–14, 2026. One key theme was the start of Federal Benefits Open Season, giving employees and retirees until December 14 to review and change 2027 health, dental, and vision coverage, with notable updates to eligibility and FSA account elections. The discussion explored OPM’s retirement claims backlog, noting an increase to 10,600 pending claims and average processing times rising to 73 days, while electronic submissions moved faster. Several points were raised, including special salary rate expansions for federal law enforcement, a 73% decrease in telework participation following new in-person work policies, and the impact and limitations of recent HUD and USDA reorganizations. The episode also covered new agency-level employee survey requirements replacing the government-wide survey, as well as confirmation that the Combined Federal Campaign will continue in 2026 despite administrative concerns. The analysis underscored the individualized nature of benefit choices, the evolving landscape for pay and workplace arrangements, and ongoing policy oversight affecting federal employees and retirees.