Workforce

GovExec Daily: Some Lawmakers Want Feds Back in Offices

Erich Wagner joins the podcast to discuss some proposed bills that would bring pre-pandemic telework policies back.

Management

The Senate Passes a Measure Aimed at Undoing the Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

The Supreme Court allowed it to stand last month, but lawmakers say the measure punishes the health care workforce.

Management

Federal Agencies Can Relax Their Mask and Testing Requirements

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force updated its guidance following new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Management

Congress Has Approved a Measure to Push More FDA and NIH Funds to Their Private Sector Foundations

Lawmakers say the legislation, soon to be signed into law by President Biden, will help bridge gaps between the federal and private sectors to address current and future health crises.

Workforce

Coronavirus Roundup: New CDC Mask Guidance Expected; Biden Prepares for SOTU Amid Pandemic Changes 

There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s a list of this week’s news updates and stories you may have missed.

Workforce

Soon Feds Will Be Able to Sign Up Online to Join a COVID Hazard Pay Lawsuit

Unlike traditional class-action suits, federal workers will need to sign up to become plaintiffs in advance, union says.

Workforce

Unions are Urging the VA to Better Educate Employees About Their Rights Under COVID Law

Although Congress has approved a number of measures to help federal workers stay safe during the pandemic, labor groups say the Veterans Affairs Department has not adequately trained employees on those benefits.

Workforce

GovExec Daily: Remote Work Trends That Federal Employees Should Know

GitLab's Bob Stevens joins the podcast to discuss how feds can telework more securely.

Workforce

New Bills Try Once More to Force Feds Back to Traditional Offices

Federal employee unions have blasted the latest round of Republican legislation, arguing the bills improperly infringe on their right to negotiate over working conditions.

Oversight

Whatever Happened to Biden’s Pandemic Testing Board?

The day after his inauguration, President Joe Biden signed an order creating a Pandemic Testing Board, which he said would be modeled on FDR’s hugely successful Wartime Production Board. A year later, there’s little sign of Biden’s initiative.

Workforce

The Justice Dept.’s Workplace Safety Plan Details COVID-19 Testing Protocols

The plan’s language encouraging a “broader” application of telework disappointed career prosecutors, who had hoped for a firm baseline of two days per week of working remotely after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Management

Coronavirus Roundup: The Pandemic is a ‘Wild Card’ as Biden Plans His State of the Union Address

There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.

Management

Air Quality in Your Home May Be Worse Than in Your Office

New research highlights the importance of improving air quality in homes for employees who continue to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Management

GovExec Daily: Fauci's 'All-of-Government' Pandemic Approach

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President and NIAID chief, joins Courtney Bublé on the podcast to discuss prep for the next crisis.

Management

What Are Taxpayers Spending for Those ‘Free’ Covid Tests? The Government Won’t Say.

Inquiries lead from one federal office to the next, with no clear answers. At one Army Contracting Command, a protocol office employee says that “voicemail has been down for months.” And the email address listed for fielding media inquiries? "The army stopped using the email address about eight years ago."

Tech

Eye-Tracking Reveals What People Look at during Virtual Meetings

How focused or distracted are people during a Zoom meeting? A new study that used eye-tracking technology finds room for improvement.

Workforce

Nine Federal Agencies Had Almost All of Their Employees Teleworking During COVID-19

A new watchdog report looks at how 24 federal agencies balanced in-person and offsite work during the pandemic.