Pay & Benefits
Pay compression: One expert says a current bill would help, but deeper changes are still needed
“The relatively low pay for very skilled, very experienced workers is a serious problem,” says James L. Perry, professor emeritus of public administration at the University of Indiana.
Tech
OPM has a plan to take its tech 'from the Flintstones to the Jetsons'
The personnel agency recently released its first IT strategic plan in nearly a decade.
Workforce
OPM deputy defends administration's telework approach, touts ‘consensus-building’ in workforce policymaking
Rob Shriver argues the White House's calls to increase in-person work are consistent with the HR agency’s prior policies.
Management
First revamped science policy falls short of fulfilling Biden’s promise to protect scientists, watchdogs say
As written, groups suggest the updated scientific integrity policy can be "weaponized by bad-faith actors.”
Defense
The Pentagon’s innovation arm has a new chief and a new strategy
‘DIU 3.0,’ now under SecDef review, aims to embed teams in the combatant commands.
Management
How data models may shape the future of wildfire response
Data models that integrate wildfire spread and vehicle and pedestrian evacuation routes can help responder agencies get residents to safety before an incoming wildfire becomes too much to manage.
Tech
Emerging tech is an SBA priority for both internal systems and external assistance
The Small Business Administration is leading the charge to democratize access to emerging technologies — particularly AI — across U.S. companies.
Oversight
From shutdown prospects to anti-telework bills: 5 things to watch when Congress returns
Pending legislation could affect federal employees' work-life balance, civil service protections, TSP investment options and more.
Workforce
Biden administration soliciting volunteers throughout government to deploy for disaster response
FEMA has said the assignments from other agencies could help ensure an adequate recovery effort.
News
How to get federal disaster aid: FEMA is running out of money, but these strategies can help survivors of Hurricane Idalia and the Maui fires get aid faster
COMMENTARY | After a natural disaster strikes a community, determining and documenting the extent of damage to homes and property is a crucial step in receiving financial aid to recover.
Pay & Benefits
Most TSP portfolios stumbled in August
The only fund in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program that finished last month in the black was the G Fund, which increases at a statutorily mandated rate each month.
Management
Are we 30 days from a government shutdown?
COMMENTARY | Crunch time on the budget is pretty much here, but there are positive signs that Congress could pass a short-term budget agreement. All the pressure is on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Oversight
FDIC needs to sharpen its cyberthreat sharing with financial institutions, OIG says
Despite recent improvements, a watchdog report claims the agency still has more it can do to make threat-sharing policies more effective.
Workforce
Pregnant employees ruled eligible for class action discrimination lawsuit against CBP
The employees allege they were improperly forced to surrender duties upon notifying supervisors of their pregnancies.
Pay & Benefits
Biden formally announces 5.2% average pay raise for feds in 2024
The annual declaration of a national emergency preventing large automatic raises from taking effect solidifies that 0.5% of the total pay increase figure will go toward an average boost in locality pay.
Oversight
Special counsels, like the one leading the Justice Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden, are intended to be independent − but they aren’t entirely
Ensuring impartiality in the Justice Department can be difficult, as the attorney general is appointed by – and answerable to – a partisan president.
Tech
Biden administration inches ahead on 'life experiences' projects
The White House shared updates on cross-agency projects designed to improve and streamline government service delivery.
Defense
Veterans discharged under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ are still fighting for justice — and benefits
The military banned openly LGBTQ+ service members — and denied thousands honorable discharges, restricting their access to federal programs designed to help veterans.
Tech