Management
EEOC touts more than two decades of data-based agency anti-discrimination policy
Management Directive 715, which debuted in 2003, has improved EEO data collection in the federal workforce, providing better insights.
Management
Trump’s refusal, so far, of transition assistance creates a ‘real risk’ for government continuity
The Harris campaign has reached agreements with GSA and the White House on presidential transition preparations.
Tech
Trump and Harris are sharply divided on science, but share common ground on US technology policy
The candidates have demonstrated different budget priorities when it comes to the role of science and research funding in the federal government, but have taken similar approaches in the technology competition with China.
Management
Candidate-centric vetting: A new era of mobility
COMMENTARY | Improved tracking of suitability determinations would lead to true reciprocity and transfer of trust, writes one Trusted Workforce 2.0 expert.
Tech
Inside VA’s drive to offer rideshare services to vets
Since its launch in January 2022, the Veterans Health Administration’s rideshare program for veterans in need of medical-related transportation has provided more than 438,000 rides.
Management
USPS makes its pitch to again slow delivery for some mail
The Postal Service is promising significant savings and to protect most mail from slowdowns, but the plan is facing some resistance.
Pay & Benefits
OPM moves to standardize General Schedule, blue collar locality pay areas
For years, federal employee unions have bemoaned that the pay systems’ differing maps of high-cost regions created pay inequity within agency workforces.
Management
Election-year politics color hurricane recovery efforts
A week after Hurricane Helene struck the Southeast, some elected officials have been reluctant to put on a united front.
Workforce
Does Trump have the right idea about dismantling the Deep State?
COMMENTARY | "Trump’s diagnosis is correct in part but his reform proposal badly misses the target," writes one observer.
Tech
IRS delay on key system could cost up to $70 million
The IRS had been considering switching to a new system for core, individual tax processing, but it’s waiting to do so until after the coming tax season.
Management
‘All hands on deck:’ From Hawaii to Texas, FEMA employees pitch in on Helene response
FEMA personnel, even those not deployed, are working long hours to get supplies where they are needed.
Oversight
DHS IG committed ‘substantial misconduct,’ governmental watchdog finds
Whether Joseph Cuffari is removed or not is up to President Biden.
News
Congress left D.C. with little done, they’ll be back Nov. 12 to give it another try
The legislative branch remains on recess until after the election, but a robust slate of congressional action remains, from must-past bills and appropriations to Hurricane Helene response.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers consider making military leave more equitable for feds with non-traditional work schedules
Currently, the annual cap on paid leave available to federal employees associated with their service in the National Guard is 15 days, which advocates say works well for traditional weekday work schedules but not for employees who frequently work weekends.
Workforce
Amid hiring surge, FAA taps outside schools to boost air traffic controller training
The agency is looking to reduce bottlenecks as it attempts to reverse a longstanding slide in air traffic controller staffing.
Pay & Benefits
End-of-year retirement planning for federal couples
Spouses who both work for the federal government can have some unique quandaries when it comes to planning for their retirement and health care benefits.
Oversight
OSC praises case resolutions involving alleged retaliation against federal employees
The findings come as the Merit Systems Protection Board makes a change to how it handles OSC petitions.
Pay & Benefits
Labor Department sets 2025 federal contractor minimum wages
In a pair of filings in the Federal Register Monday, Labor Department officials set the range of minimum wages for contractors between $9.30 per hour for tipped workers to $17.75 per hour, depending on the job type.
Workforce
Federal employee appeals board has nearly eliminated the backlog built up during its five years without power
Agency workers who appealed adverse actions against them finally have resolution after waiting for years for a decision.
Pay & Benefits