The Foreign Service Journal, October 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2021 71 AFSA NEWS session on “Demystifying the DCM/Principal Officer Assign- ment Process” in the late fall/ early winter of 2021-2022 and will brainstorm other possible programs that address this concern. Specialist EERs. Due to the desire for more special- ist programming, and given the priority specialists gave to EERs, AFSA will plan for a specialist EER event in early spring next year, timed to be as useful as possible for EER season. Leadership Accountabil- ity. In response to member interest, AFSA will hold a panel on successful examples of leadership accountabil- ity, especially leadership accountability in the field. In accordance with survey feedback, we will emphasize stories of leadership account- ability from Senior and non-Senior Foreign Service members, from various agencies and from a range of cones and specialties. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Women and people of color prioritized diversity, equity and inclu- sion when choosing their preferred topics. AFSA conducted a bias survey last summer and released AFSA’s diversity, equity and inclusion advocacy measures last fall. The good news is that many exciting new steps have been taken to reduce bias in the Foreign Service workplace, and we will be sure to include a progress report in our December Advocacy Update. AFSA welcomes recom- mendations for speakers at our planned events. Please contact Julie Nutter at nutter@afsa.org with your ideas. n State Department Increases Professional Liability Insurance Reimbursement AFSA is pleased to inform members that the State Department has agreed to increase its professional liability insurance (PLI) reim- bursement amount from $175 to $250, or 50 percent of the premium, whichever is less. This great news comes after AFSA urged depart- ment management to match the reimbursement amount USAID offers to its employees. AFSA has long encouraged members to sign up for PLI to ensure coverage in the event they are sued, are proposed for disciplinary action for acts or omissions arising out of the scope of their duties, or are the subject of a congressional inquiry. PLI is particularly important for those in specific positions such as ambassadors, deputy chiefs of mission, managers, supervisors, law enforcement officers, contract officers and con- sular officers, among others. AFSA provides a nonexhaustive list of PLI pro- viders at afsa.org/insurance-plans. Visit afsa.org/professional-liability-insurance- reimbursement to read more about PLI and for agency-specific information on how to request reimbursement. n NEWS BRIEF Payroll Deductions. Department of State, LE staff and overseas American employees of other fed- eral agencies on the State Department payroll can make contributions by payroll deduction. All submissions need to be performed by email to payhelp@state.gov . Include your name, address and last four digits of your Social Security number along with the fol- lowing statement: “I intend to make a gift in the amount of $_____ as a contribution to the FSN Emergency Relief Fund. I request the Depart- ment of State to deduct from each of my bi-monthly salary payment(s) $X.XX for X pay periods, until the total gift amount has been deducted.” If the contribution is a one-time deduction, indicate one “1” pay period in your request to make it clear that this is a one-time deduction. Payroll Customer Support will provide a response email that can be used for tax purposes. Cash: Cash contributions in dollars or local currency can be made through the embassy/consulate cashier or at the State Department Federal Credit Union. In the Washington area, donors can drop foreign cur- rency in collection boxes in the Employee Service Center or the SDFCU branch at Main State or other branches. The SDFCU has partnered with the department and covers the cost of converting the donated currency to U.S. dollars. Thank you to all our members who have been so willing to help. Your support is invaluable to those who have sacrificed so much. n Help for Former Mission Afghanistan Local Staff Continued from p. 67