Management
DOGE can maintain access to federal personnel data, court rules
The DOGE affiliates will also keep unfettered access to federal education and taxpayer information.
Workforce
OPM orders deletion of federal workers’ vaccination records
The announcement came hours after a formal dissolution of a lawsuit challenging the Biden-era requirement that federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, which hasn’t been enforced since 2023.
Workforce
At least 148,000 federal employees have left government under Trump, good government group reports
The Partnership for Public Service acknowledged that it’s difficult to track the number of civil servants who have departed because the Trump administration has not publicized much of the information.
Workforce
Trump administration reminds federal employees they can proselytize in the office
Supervisors can solicit employees to attend their church, OPM says in new guidance.
Management
Managers are the linchpins to improved performance
COMMENTARY | To reach its performance management goals, OPM may need to look at the inherent challenges facing agency managers and how to improve their engagement.
Workforce
New OPM head plans to cement focus on efficiency
Scott Kupor said he won’t be taking orders from DOGE, though he’s “happy to partner with people” that are helpful to his overall goals for the agency.
Pay & Benefits
OPM’s digital retirement application is live. What that means for feds planning to retire
The new electronic retirement system promises a faster, more accurate process, but some users are still adjusting to the change.
Updated
Workforce
OPM urges ‘generous approach’ to approving religion-based telework
A memo encouraging the approval of telework arrangements for people with religious reasonable accommodation requests comes as some agencies look to crack down on disability-based telework usage.
Management
Investing in knowledge workers is important
COMMENTARY | OPM's plans for reforming federal employee performance management need to account for workers for whom annual performance goals may not translate their worth.
Pay & Benefits
Trump’s hiring freeze has jeopardized postal workers’ health care, IG says
OPM told its agency watchdog that it has taken steps to ensure the Postal Service Health Benefits Program remains adequately staffed and funded but failed to provide any evidence that it had actually done so.
Management
Senate confirms new Office of Personnel Management head in mostly party-line vote
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was the only Republican to vote against Scott Kupor's nomination.
Workforce
OPM deemphasizes ‘favorite EO’ essay following legal challenge
A quietly circulated memo from the federal government's HR agency warns hiring managers against using the essay responses as a "ideological litmus test" for job applicants.
Tech
OPM to host an industry event on modernizing federal HR systems
The Office of Personnel Management, Office of Management and Budget, and General Services Administration are all involved in this discussion on how to get a new human resources system in place by the end of 2028.
Management
No better way to manage performance
COMMENTARY | OPM's new performance management guidance looks to refine how federal agencies tackle employee performance, but to reach its mark, the federal government’s HR agency should explore how to empower employee problem-solving.
Workforce
OPM calls for quicker firings, more stringent performance standards
While experts agree that performance ratings in the federal government are inflated, the federal government’s HR agency’s proposal could exacerbate existing problems.
Workforce
The Trump hiring plan wants to fix federal jobs, but it might just make things worse
COMMENTARY | The administration’s new approach promises faster, fairer hiring. But with old-school rules and political essay tests, it could actually make the process harder for everyone. There is another, better way.
Workforce
Employee groups challenge ‘favorite EO’ question as agencies begin rollout
Experts warn that the Trump administration’s new essay questionnaire for most federal job applicants amount to a litmus test to politicize agency hiring.
Exclusive
Workforce
VA signs $700K agreement with OPM for assistance with mass layoffs
The department lacks expertise for such a large reduction, it says, and RIF planners confirm VA leadership is not offering clear guidance.
Workforce
Trump’s push for executive order loyalty risks undermining the federal workforce and the Constitution
COMMENTARY | Federal workers are being asked to prove their loyalty to Trump’s agenda, but history shows that when politics overtakes merit, government performance suffers.
Workforce