|
Good Day Stakeholder,
We’re pleased to welcome these new employees to Team AMS.
DY
Michael Eichorst IL
LPS
Lindsay Brunet CO
Kristin Banks OK
Breanna Sides OR
Crystal Cabrera WA
NOP
Kristina Henderson DC
OA
James Akhnana DC
David John DC
Devonne Collins DC
S&T
Jonathan Stogner GA
SCP
Roger Foch FL
Cheryl Dann MO
Ernesto Santiago Perez NJ
Benjamin Epple WI
New and Emerging Professionals (NEP) is a professional and social work group which is open to all AMS employees.
To get involved, please contact Katy Looft: Katherine.Looft@ams.usda.gov / 202-720-5951, or Lillie Zeng: Weiya.Zeng@ams.usda.gov / 202-690-3870. You can also contact them on USDA Connect: http://bit.ly/2aX1Cqv
 USDA
2016 Department-wide Veterans Day Observance
You
are cordially invited to join Deputy Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Lanon Baccam in celebrating
the USDA 2016 Veterans Day Observance.
Thursday,
Oct. 27
10 – 11 am
Jefferson
Auditorium – Washington, DC
Theme: Courage
Keynote
Speaker
Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen
Founder and President of “Give An Hour”
Signing of Memorandum of Agreement between USDA and
the U.S. Army Partnership for Youths Success Program
Dr. Gregory Parham, Assistant Secretary for
Administration and Lieutenant General James C. McConville, Deputy Chief of Staff,
U.S. Army, G-1
Sign language interpreting will be provided. For
other reasonable accommodations, contact Natalie Veeney at Natalie.Veeney@dm.usda.gov.
The safety and health of our
employees is of great importance to AMS management. We know that many of you have concerns about
these issues, so we are working hard to ensure that they are addressed. Over the
past few months, we have been meeting with officials from Departmental
Management (DM) to share our concerns and improve employee safety services. We will continue to meet monthly with DM to review
the status of health and safety initiatives and share information.
Listed below are a number of steps
that either have been taken or are going to be taken in the near future to address
employee safety and health:
Emergency Notification
A new public address system is in place in the
Headquarters complex. Please be sure to
listen to all announcements and follow the guidance given.
The AtHoc
Notifier emergency notification App is available for all employees in the
Headquarters complex to download. A Computer Alert system is installed on all
computers. In the event of an incident,
a message will come up on each user’s computer screen.
Agency specific emergency drills will start soon
and AMS will be the first agency participating.
DM has developed a new safety booklet. AMS will obtain and distribute copies to our
employees.
Medical Care
A medical doctor has been hired for the South
Building Health Unit. Dr. Egelman will
start at the end of October.
Two additional nurses will be added to the Health
Unit staff. One is transferring from the
Patriots Plaza location and a second one will be a new hire. The health services at Patriots Plaza will be
contracted out.
A new nurse station will open in the Whitten
Building.
New defibrillators have been purchased and will
be installed soon.
DM will look into making sure the Health Unit remains
open during lunch and that the phone rolls over when nurses are not available.
Other steps AMS has taken include:
- Provided CPR/Frist Aid/AED training both at Headquarters
and field locations.
- Ensured all defibrillators in AMS space are
operational.
- Conducted brown bag on Active Shooter and Emergency
Response.
- Conducted a Health Fair, which included safety
information.
- Distributed a one-pager with emergency contact
information to all offices in Headquarters.
 |
|
The AMS Dairy Program will sponsor their 10th
Annual Breakfast Taco CFC event on Wednesday, November 9, from 7:30 to 9:30 am or until the tacos sell out! The event will take place in the lobby of Wing 2 of the South Building,
Independence Avenue side. Dairy has
simplified their menu options somewhat this year. Available menu options this
year include: steak, egg, and cheese; bacon, egg, and cheese; and veggies, egg
and cheese. Come and get your breakfast
and greet Milkshake the Cow! Suggested donation is one taco for $4, two tacos
for $7, or three tacos for $10. All
proceeds benefit the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area and
participation is 100% voluntary. Show
some Love! Eat some tacos! |
 You asked for it and here it is! The What A Great Idea (WAGI) Tool is a direct response to FEV scores to influence creative ideas within AMS. The WAGI Employee Suggestion Program encourages all AMS employees, individually or as teams, to submit suggestions on how to improve business processes, save or avoid costs, and foster employee engagement.
AMS employees can submit their ideas TODAY! The first solicitation period ends on Oct 24, so please submit your ideas before then. The voting period is next month!
|
Step-by-Step
1. Visit the
What a Great Idea website at https://www.eservices.usda.gov/apps/ams-wagi
2. From the
landing page, to submit an idea(s)
click on the Share tab at the top of the page or the Share button at the bottom of the page.
3. Complete the fields on the Share Your Ideas page,
and provide an overview of your idea, including the
current challenge; proposed solution; anticipated business process improvement;
cost savings/avoidance; or employee engagement enhancement. Follow the prompts
and submit your idea.
Thank you for
your participation!!
To learn more about WAGI, who can participate, how to
participate, how ideas are selected and much more, please click on the Learn
More button at the top of the Home Screen.
Please note that AMS 1074.1 the Scientific Integrity Policy is available for viewing here. https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/policies/ams-issuance
We
recently shared information about the Department-wide implementation of a new
web-based time and attendance system—webTA 4.2. This new version is now scheduled to go live on Oct. 31 and will replace our current webTA system.
In order
to facilitate the transition, both versions of webTA will be unavailable during
the week of Oct. 24.
Important
Timesheet Guidance
In order
to transition to the new system, we are asking all employees to enter their
time for the first week of pay period 21 in the current version of webTA by noon Friday, Oct. 21. The
National Finance Center (NFC) has confirmed that these hours will migrate over
and appear on the employee’s timesheet in webTA 4.2. NFC has stressed
that employees should NOT validate or certify their timesheets in the
current version of webTA. Please wait until you receive the link to the
new webTA 4.2 system to validate and/or certify your T&A.
Please
track your time manually for the week of Oct. 24, while both versions of
webTA are unavailable. When you get
access to webTA 4.2, you will only need to enter that week’s T&A
data.
Due to
the upcoming transition, some employees may have noticed a discrepancy with
their leave balances in the current version of webTA. If you notice any
discrepancy with your leave, either before or after the switch to the new
system, please alert your timekeeper, who will complete a leave audit and work
with Human Resources to correct the change as quickly as possible.
Timekeepers have already been notified of this potential issue and are prepared
to assist.
Training
Resources
If you
have not already done so, we encourage you to take the appropriate AgLearn webTA
4.2 modules before the end of the month.
Employees
who enter their own Time & Attendance Information into webTA should take:
WebTA 4.2 for Employees: APHIS WebTA 4.2 Employee Course
Additionally,
employees with a supervisor role in webTA should take:
WebTA 4.2 for
Supervisors: APHIS
WebTA 4.2 Supervisor Course
As an
additional resource, the Department has published webTA 4.2 Quick Reference
Guides and User Guides for employees, supervisors and timekeepers. These
guides are now available on the Human Resources webTA Portal
page.
(Note: You must log in via e-Auth to access the APHIS Portal.)
Additional
questions can be referred to your servicing Leave and
Compensation, Civilian Pay Technician or Specialist in HR
Operations-Minneapolis.
There’s also a new way to find training offerings on the CTOD SharePoint site!
Try the new drop-down menu on Competencies Addressed to sort for specific trainings!
Trainings with Competencies
Webinar
Nov 14 Shifting
Perspectives Changes Everything 2:00pm – 3:30pm Registration closes 11-7-2016
Nov 15 Rethinking
Stress 2:30pm – 4:00pm Registration closes
11-8-2016
Nov 16 Creating
Meaningful Individual Development Plans (IDPs) 3:00pm – 4:30pm Registration
closes 11-9-2016
Nov 30 Interviewing
Skills for the Interviewee 11:00am – 1:00pm Registration closes 11-16-2016
Nov 30, Dec 7 & 14 Project
Management Essentials Webinar Series 2:00pm – 4:00pm Registration closes 11-23-2016
Nov 30 Interviewing
Skills for the Interviewee 2:00pm – 4:00pm Registration closes 11-16-2016
Dec 6 Requests,
Offers & Promises: Communication that Builds Trust 2:00pm –
3:30pm Registration closes 11-29-2016
Classroom
Nov
8 Maximizing
Employee Engagement 8:30am – 3:30pm ET, Riverdale, MD Registration closes 11-1-2016
Nov
9 Writing
Up! 9:00am -12:30pm ET, Riverdale, MD Registration
closes 11-1-2016
Nov
15-17 Strategic
Leadership 8:30am – 5:00pm ET, Riverdale, MD Registration closes 11-4-2016
Save The Date! AMS Travel Webinar Oct. 27
AMS Travel
Webinar for All Travelers and Preparers. Covering
the Top 10 problems Federal Agency Travel Administrators (FATA)
See in Concur Presented by the Travel Services Center
Thursday,
Oct. 27
10 –
11:30 am
Test Link - http://www.adobe.com/go/meeting_test for
participants to test their computers before the webinar begins
Webinar Link - https://ams.adobeconnect.com/travelwebinar/
Conference call number: 888-844-9904
Access Code: 7880945
Travel
webinar will cover the Top 10 Travel Problems as they relate to Concur.
We will also cover Travel Dos and Donts.
All USDA employees are invited to participate
in the Annual Conflict Resolution Day Program featuring two webinar training
and workshops. The first workshop, “Where There’s Smoke…There’s Fire,”
presented by Dr. Fred Soto of the Department of Energy, will take place on
Thursday, Oct. 20, from 10 am to 12 pm Eastern Daylight Time
(EDT) in Room 107-A, Whitten Building.
The second workshop, “Updates
on Alternative Dispute Resolution,” presented by Dexter Brooks of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, will take place from 1 to 2:30 pm, EDT, in Room
107-A. In this session, participants will learn about strategies designed
to prevent discrimination.
Registration
Instructions
Please click on the link
below that describes how you will participate, either in person or online
viewing of the webinar.
Option #1: Participants who wish to attend in person as
Live Audience participant, in Room 107-A of the Whitten Building, please register
by pressing the Ctrl Key and clicking on the following link: https://aglearn.usda.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=REGISTRATION&scheduleID=48986
Option #2: Webinar registration for this event will be
scheduled through ReadyTalk. Once you register, you will be placed in the
lounge where the countdown of the conference is located.
Press the Ctrl Key and click on the following link to register for the
training:
10 am – 12 pm
https://cc.readytalk.com/r/1bx0s607zpxb&eom
1 – 2:30 pm
https://cc.readytalk.com/r/4fl8gio3ohsb&eom
For additional information,
please contact the Early Resolution and Conciliation Division (ERCD) at ercd@ascr.usda.gov or 202-720-7664.
OPM is hosting a no-cost, virtual two-part series on telework specifically
for supervisors, managers, and executives. The series is part of
OPM’s celebration of National Work and Family month.
Telework & Performance Management Part 1: The first part of the webinar will focus on the key steps
for developing a successful telework strategy to ensure program success.
WHEN: Thursday, October 27, 2 - 3:30 pm EST
LINK TO LIVE WEBINAR (NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED): http://web.2.c3.audiovideoweb.com/ca25web26002/7c3flslive1573.html
LINK TO LIVE CAPTIONING: https://recapd.com/w-b08e11
Telework & Performance Management Part 2: The second part of the series will demonstrate how effective performance
management can lead to organizational success in a virtual environment.
WHEN: Thursday, November 3,
2 - 3:30 pm EST
LINK TO LIVE WEBINAR (NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED): http://web.2.c3.audiovideoweb.com/ca25web26002/7c3flslive1573.html
LINK TO LIVE CAPTIONING: https://recapd.com/w-87472e
If you have any questions, please contact worklife@opm.gov.
In addition to OPM’s telework training, we have access on AgLearn to:
o Telework
Fundamentals – Employee Training
o Telework
Fundamentals – Manager Training
MRP
encourages all employees to vote. If necessary, supervisors may permit an
employee to report for work up to 3 hours after the polls open or to leave work
up to 3 hours before the polls close in order to vote.
In either case,
supervisors are to exercise the option which results in the lesser amount of
administrative leave. The amount of administrative leave (TC 66) granted will
vary depending on the employee's voting location and official duty hours/tour
of duty. Employees may use telework, if an approved participant, to
facilitate time to vote.
They may also use tour scheduling options, e.g.,
gliding, and changing a day off, to allow for additional flexibility for voting
purposes.
Additional MRP-specific “Voting” guidance is located on the web at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/business-services/forms_publications/hr_desk_guide/hrdg_4630/4630_sec_d_sub_e.
http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/become_a_poll_worker.aspx.
The new AMS Corporate Portal
(AGNIS) in SharePoint 2013 is now available!
In
Phase 1 of the migration, the SharePoint Team worked closely with each of the
Program’s Site Administrators to clean-up the sites by moving content older
than January 1, 2015 to the AMS Records Center, shared drives and local hard
drives unless a business justification was received to migrate content prior to
January 1, 2015. This cleanup effort assisted AMS in meeting the size
restrictions within the USDA Office 365 SharePoint Cloud Environment and began
the efforts for integration of the AMS Records Center into the SharePoint Cloud
Environment.
In
addition, the URL for AGNIS was changed to meet the OCIO naming standards
therefore an automatic redirect is available by typing http://agnis in the browser to make the
transition as transparent as possible. Please note that the URL change
broke all links to favorites, if you click on your favorite, you will see “Page
not found” and can still get to the AGNIS Home Page by clicking “go to the site
home”, then go to the needed location and recreate your favorite.
If
there are some areas of concern, please contact your Program’s Site
Administrator or Ama Nelson, AMS SharePoint Administrator at sharepointteam@ams.usda.gov to assist in recovering content.
Did you know October
is the Cyber Security Awareness Month?
Cyber Security
Awareness Month is an annual campaign to raise awareness and it provides an
opportunity to remind AMS employees of the importance of protecting the agency
from cyber-attacks by avoiding threats such as phishing. Phishing attacks use email or malicious
websites to solicit personal information by posing as a trustworthy
organization. An example would be the receipt of an official looking email with
a subject of “2017 Federal Pay Raise and Salary/Locality Pay Tables” that
originates from a .com address even though all official federal pay scales are
located at OPM.gov and not the Federal Employee
Register. Although there are some
governmental communications that originate from a .com address, the link within
an email directing you to a different site is an indicator of suspicious
behavior.
If you receive
an email that appears suspicious, do not
click the link but forward the email with any attachments to spam.abuse@usda.gov, copy ams.cybersecurity@ams.
usda.gov and
include a note in the subject that suspicious email is being forwarded. For further information, please contact AMS
Cyber Security at ams.cybersecurity@ams.usda.gov.
Each week we will highlight how we have been working to "Tell the AMS Story." Here are the recent blogs and press releases. Check them out so you can help tell our story!
With autumn in full swing, many of us are out in the orchards for prime apple picking and flocking to local farmers markets for the all the late summer to autumn crops. As we enjoy the crisp fall weather and all the fresh food the harvest season has to offer, we are also supporting New Hampshire’s local food system.
In the Northeast and across the country, there is strong and growing demand for locally produced food. Industry estimates show that local food sales have increased rapidly from $5 billion in 2008 to at least $12 billion in 2014 – and experts anticipate that value to hit $20 billion by 2019.
As consumers continue to crave a closer connection to their food, USDA and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food are focused on linking producers to this new market, expanding economic opportunities for small businesses, and increasing access to healthy foods.
Read More Here.
Blogs:
 Consumers expect a lot from local food. They want it to be fresh, healthy and raised responsibly. They want it to be affordable and convenient. And, they want their purchase to support local farmers.
At first glance these goals seem at odds with each other. How can local food improve farmers’ bottom lines without being expensive? Is it possible to efficiently deliver local food to (mostly) urban consumers while still supporting (mostly) rural farm economies?
Read More on the USDA Blog.
|
 Specialty crops—fruits, vegetables, nuts and nursery crops—are an agricultural and dietary staple. They’re a central part of a healthy diet and are vital to the economic success of American agriculture and to the farmers and businesses that rely on them for their livelihoods.
That’s why my agency, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, works to support and expand markets for specialty crop growers and producers. This year, through our Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, we awarded $62.5 million to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories to support critical work related to this segment of the agricultural industry.
Read More on the USDA Blog.
|
Each month in 2016, USDA will release a new “chapter” of the story, focused on one aspect of our investment in Americans, rural and urban alike, over the past eight years.
Read This Month's Chapter Here.
Throughout the month of October, we encourage you to raise awareness about both work-life and domestic violence by encouraging your employees, managers, and senior leaders to take the recently released, FREE online courses below:
Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking in the Workplace
This training is designed to provide guidance and tips on the sensitive and difficult topics related to managing a domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking (DVSAS) matter in the workplace. Among other things, this course will provide information on the definitions and types of DVSAS, how DVSAS is a workplace issue, possible signs and symptoms of DVSAS, confidentiality in the workplace, and identify the internal and external resources available to assist employees and managers.
Introduction to Leave, Work-Life, and Workplace Flexibilities
This course is designed for managers and employees seeking to understand the vast resources and flexible workplace options available in the Federal government as well as how to access and apply those resources effectively.
View the Employee Assistance Newsletter Here.
Free Live Webinar: Planning, Prioritizing and Organizing Your Time- Friday, Oct. 28 1 to 2 pm: In this month’s webinar you will learn tips for managing and organizing your time for work life balance. All seats for the initial session for October 25 have been reserved. A second session for Friday, Oct. 28 is open to accommodate additional participants. Register Today!
EAP’s October Newsletter, Solutions, includes information on Setting the Course for Retirement: Designing Your Retirement. This issue of Solutions covers:
– Preparing for your financial future
– Taking a holistic approach to retirement planning
Please view link at: https://ems-team.usda.gov/sites/AMS/AMS-WorkLife/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/SitePages/Home.aspx
HURRICANE MATTHEW ASSISTANCE INFORMATION: Federal Occupational Health wants to remind employees and their families that they offer 24/7 assistance to help those impacted by the recent hurricane. Attached is a PDF handout about hurricanes Before, During, and After. As always, FOH specialists are standing by 24/7 to refer employees to helpful resources.
You can consult your EAP and WorkLife Programs online or by phone for information and resources for help. Additionally, as with any natural disaster, we can provide assistance after the event, emotional support for you and your family, and help in accessing concrete resources are available 24/7, simply by calling our toll-free number. This is a free and confidential benefit and our services can be used by you and your family: we care, just call. Please view the handout here.
Hurricane Information: Before, During and After
Please view link at: https://ems-team.usda.gov/sites/AMS/AMS-WorkLife/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/SitePages/Home.aspx
24 HOURS A DAY
1-800-222-0364
TTY: 1-888-262-7848
FOH4You.com
Below is the link to the USAJOBS webpage that lists the current AMS job openings. Each week with a simple click you can see what opportunities are open to you.
Explore the possibilities: All AMS Jobs!
Do you have employee related questions about AMS? Send them to employeeqs@ams.usda.gov and check back here bi-weekly for your answers.
Do you have changes you need to make to your program's page? Please click here and follow the instructions.
The Employee Resource Page is now live on the AMS website! The new page contains an abundance of resources for new and current employees including the new Employee Handbook.
Find out what's cooking in the cafeterias. Please see click here to view the menus.
Go to Ask AgLearn Now for the easiest and fastest way to find answers. This site allows you to browse an extensive knowledgebase, view the most commonly asked questions, submit your inquiries, and more.
For additional general questions regarding training and the use of AgLearn, please contact your designated training officer or point of contact listed below.
Kidane Mawsha or Charvaise Butler
Phone: 202-720-1111
The AMS Voice comes out once a week, typically on
Wednesdays. If you have news or an announcement you would like to share,
then please submit it for inclusion in the Voice. Field staff are
particularly encouraged to submit entries.
All entries
must be submitted through a designated program representative for review and
clearance. Below is the list of program representatives:
Livestock,
Poultry and Seed – Alexandria Smith
Specialty
Crops - Pamela Stanziani
Dairy - Becky Unkenholz
Cotton and
Tobacco - Monica Alexander
National
Organic Program - Jennifer Tucker
Science and
Technology - Dawn Fay
Transportation
and Marketing - Becky Unkenholz
Information
Technology - Summer Butler
Legislative
and Regulatory Review – Bill Allen
Compliance
and Analysis - Natasha Griffin-Hayes
Administrator's
Office (Civil Rights, APHIS/HR, etc) - Dana Stewart
Hints and
requirements for submitting your story are provided in The Voice Guidelines.
The
deadline for program representatives to submit stories is MONDAY AT
NOON! If Monday or Tuesday is a holiday, then submissions are due on the
previous Friday at noon. So be sure to submit your entries early.
If you
have any questions, comments or suggestions, please email AMSVoice@ams.usda.gov.
| 
