Pay & Benefits
Reliable rules for your retirement recordkeeping
Pro-tip: Don’t let messy files stall your federal exit.
Workforce
Former CISA employee pleads guilty to defrauding government with secret contractor jobs
Prosecutors say Richeline Fung secretly held contractor jobs tied to six agencies and claimed up to 33-hour workdays while working full time for the federal cyber agency.
Oversight
Inspectors general are facing an identity crisis. Here’s how some former IGs would preserve the watchdogs’ independence
A panel of former leaders of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency made several recommendations for reforming the group, which has been targeted by the Trump administration.
Management
OPM taps new healthcare and insurance chief ahead of Open Season
Matthew Kiley will take over as the division prepares for Open Season following a round of workforce cuts.
Tech
The National Science Foundation is building out the government’s AI research infrastructure
A new center will help the agency expand access to the computing power and other resources researchers need to develop artificial intelligence.
Management
Scammers are making the government harder to trust
COMMENTARY | As government impersonation scams proliferate, agencies face a growing challenge: convincing Americans that legitimate calls, texts and other messages are actually from the government.
Management
Inspector general fired by Trump talks leadership, OIG independence and his new memoir
Former Labor watchdog Larry Turner writes about confronting racism, working under “toxic” bosses and what he misses most about being in government.
Pay & Benefits
TSP funds were back in the black in August
After two months of stock market slowdowns, the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program saw each of its offerings increase in value again.
Management
Shutdown threat possibly lifted as House passes stopgap spending bill
The measure gives Congress more time to reach a deal on a comprehensive spending package for fiscal 2027.
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Management
Nearly 3,150 Labor employees seeking disability accommodations impacted by data leak, internal memo says
A recently disclosed data leak impacts employees who have submitted reasonable accommodation requests since October 2023.
Pay & Benefits
Trump’s 2027 pay freeze has unions warning of recruitment, retention problems
Critics of President Trump’s plan to keep most federal employees’, save for federal law enforcement officers and military service members, pay at 2026 levels say it picks winners and losers.
Oversight
Federal disability employment program faced widespread compliance problems, whistleblower investigation finds
The AbilityOne Commission countered that “many of the compliance concerns cited by [the Office of Special Counsel] occurred during periods of operational disruption, including the pandemic.”
Exclusive
Management
‘Not our decision,’ USPS chief says, as agency faces mail-in voting lawsuits and a looming cash crisis once more
Postmaster General David Steiner says USPS “is not a political organization,” as it carefully navigates its way through yet another round of election mail lawsuits and urges Congress for help to avoid running out of cash.
Management
Why a smaller government isn't automatically better
COMMENTARY | Downsizing without a plan is a recipe for failure. History shows that smarter workforce reductions require more than just cuts.
Workforce
Here’s what Trump’s new ‘Space Academy’ could mean for the US military
A new source for commissioned officers—but is it needed?
Tech
National Archives says agencies’ AI use does not automatically create federal records
New guidance from the National Archives and Records Administration outlines when agencies should preserve AI-related materials as federal records and notes there is no “one size fits all” approach to doing so.
Pay & Benefits
Trump formally proposes pay freeze for most federal workers, 3.8% increase for law enforcement
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the president claimed that denying the federal workforce a pay raise will not hurt agency recruitment and retention efforts.
Tech
OPM memo pushes agencies to speed up hiring with AI
The federal human resources agency is exploring new AI tools for USA JOBS, USA Staffing and other USA hiring tools as agencies use AI in their hiring processes, according to the memo.
Oversight
DHS watchdog says Noem-era policy hampered probe into FEMA employees skipping homes with Trump signs
Auditors found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency also did not provide consistent Hatch Act training to employees.
Workforce