Management
GovExec Daily: The White House Wants to Improve the Customer Experience
Natalie Alms joins the podcast to discuss the latest update to the President's Management Agenda.
Workforce
OPM Issues More Guidance to Encourage Collective Bargaining at Agencies
Building on President Biden’s executive order encouraging more collaborative labor-management relations, OPM strongly encouraged federal agencies to improve unions’ ability to communicate with workers and collect dues.
Employee Policy
Watchdog: 10,000+ employees endured sexual harassment at DHS
A government watchdog cites an unreleased draft DHS OIG audit revealing one-third of employees suffered workplace sexual harassment over a seven-year period, most of it never formally reported. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas responded, stating he is "aware" of such unpublished material, and that it underscores "the need for immediate action."
Tech
Jury: Former DHS Watchdog Official Stole Software, Employees’ Personal Info
The verdict is in for the last holdout in a scandalous scheme to defraud the government.
Updated
Management
Non-Emergency Federal Employees Ordered to Leave Shanghai
The mandate comes as China contends with a worsening surge of COVID-19 cases.
Management
GSA Adds Sustainability Criteria to Push For Greener IT Contracts
The General Service Administration’s new contracting language is one tool for the agency to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Exclusive
Management
‘I Am Against Retreat:’ The Louis DeJoy Ethos and the Future of the Postal Service
Everything is “on the table” in this postmaster general’s USPS—except the status quo.
Tech
IRS Aims to Clear Backlogged Tax Returns by the End of Year
As of March 18, the backlog of unprocessed paper tax returns was at nearly 15 million but IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told lawmakers that he wants to get that to a “healthy” level.
Special Report
Oversight
The COVID Commission Has Never Been Fully Staffed, But That Hasn’t Stopped it From Issuing Reports
The oversight body has no Democratic members and no chairperson.
Workforce
Less Than a Week after Social Security Offices Reopen, Unions Report a Mixed Bag
Although some components reported a more collaborative labor-management relationship, that did not extend to field office employees, who now report feeling physically threatened at work.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: The Problems with the Proposed USDA Regs
Stan Soloway joins the podcast to discuss new labor rules at Agriculture.
Nextgov
IRS’ ‘Where’s My Return’ Tools Needs Updates Amid Lack Of Agency Plans, Watchdog Says
The Government Accountability Office regards modernizing taxpayer digital resources as a high priority item despite a reported lack of funding.
Employee Policy
USPS converted 63,000 non-career employees to permanent status
The Postal Service has converted over 63,000 part-timers and non-career employees to permanent status just in the last year—and is promising new reforms to "all aspects of our operations" in the coming years.
Tech
Solarium Co-chairs Urge the White House to Maintain Trump-era Cyber Authorities
Lawmakers expressed concern that rolling back the authorities from a 2018 presidential memorandum would jeopardize national security efforts.
Updated
Management
Biden Tries Again For an ATF Nominee
The administration also announced new actions to crack down on “ghost guns.”
Workforce
What Federal Acquisition Personnel Can Do Right Now to Support Sustainability
Federal officials and government purchasing experts showed off tools and resources to help make federal procurement and acquisitions more sustainable and energy efficient.
Oversight
Ketanji Brown Jackson Will Be the First Black Woman Justice. Here’s How She Will Change the Supreme Court.
The Senate has voted to confirm Jackson, whose history-making confirmation sets up the first all-women liberal wing on the court. The 19th examines what she means to the Supreme Court and the legal profession.
Special Report
Oversight
Two Years of COVID-19 Oversight: A Look Back
The CARES Act of 2020 created three pandemic-related oversight entities, and our series will examine their successes and failures as well as their challenges and goals moving forward.
Special Report
Oversight
The Inspectors General COVID Committee Has an ‘Enormous Responsibility'
“We've really changed the way we as federal IGs do business,” says Michael Horowitz, Justice Department inspector general and chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.
Workforce