Workforce
OPM Guidance Lays Out Vision for ‘Exceptional’ Internship Programs at Agencies
Agencies should expand the number of interns they hire each year, among other things.
Oversight
OPM Official Accused of Using N-Word, Sexual Harassment During His Tenure at Defense
OPM confirmed it is reviewing the inspector general’s report.
Workforce
State of the Unions: A New Normal
After nearly four years of drag-out fights with the Trump administration, President Biden pitched himself as a willing partner to federal employee unions. How have the government and unions navigated the transition to this new approach?
Pay & Benefits
OPM Should Do More to Prevent Improper FEHBP Payments
The Government Accountability Office on Monday reported that OPM has no fulsome way to monitor the eligibility of participants in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
Pay & Benefits
Biden Has Issued an Executive Order Finalizing an Average 4.6% Pay Raise for Feds
The move locks in the largest pay increase for federal employees in two decades, although in a year with record inflation, it still fell short of some employee groups’ hopes.
Pay & Benefits
The President’s Pay Agent Has Approved Four New Locality Pay Areas
The annual report from the leaders of OMB, OPM and the Labor Department also authorized a number of tweaks to the criteria that govern which regions are eligible to be added to the map of locality pay areas.
Pay & Benefits
Locality Pay Area Tweaks Set for 2023 Pay Raise, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Recent Hiring Reforms Are Already Working, Federal HR Leaders Say
At the annual public meeting of the Chief Human Capital Officers Council, officials said innovations like shared certifications and skills-based hiring are paying dividends.
Management
OPM to Agencies: Set Up ‘Success Metrics’ to Show How You're Building Stronger Workforces
The federal government’s HR agency is taking a data-driven approach to advancing the workforce portions of the Biden administration’s management agenda.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: Making Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Work for the Federal Workforce
OPM's Janice Underwood joins the podcast to discuss her role as Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility .
Pay & Benefits
OPM Will Suspend Long Term Care Insurance Applications as a Sizeable Premium Increase Looms
The deadline to apply for the program before a two-year suspension is Dec. 19, but officials want applicants to go in with “eyes wide open” that rates will likely increase substantially.
Workforce
The Biden Administration Will Allow Agencies to Appoint Some Employees Into 10-Year Temporary Jobs
The rule finalizes a proposal first put forward by the Trump administration.
Workforce
These Are the Agencies that Saw the Biggest Losses in Employee Satisfaction in 2022, and the Few that Saw Gains
Only 10 agencies with at least 100 employees saw improvements to their job satisfaction score in the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, and no agencies with at least 10,000 workers gained ground.
Workforce
Lagging Pay and Back to the Office Transitions Likely Caused Feds' Morale Drop This Year, OPM Says
The lack of pay increases to match inflation and the federal government’s implementation of return to office initiatives could be responsible for dips in employee satisfaction as measured in the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
Pay & Benefits
Here’s What Still Needs to Happen for Feds to Get Their 2023 Pay Raise
Although there’s only a month left in the year, there are still a number of things that must be done to finalize an average 4.6% pay hike for civilian federal workers in January.
Pay & Benefits
Low Pay Remains the Largest Barrier to Federal Wildland Firefighter Recruitment, GAO Says
Although the Biden administration has taken multiple steps to boost compensation for federal firefighters, the government watchdog agency reports those measures are both not enough to compete with state and local governments and only temporary.
Pay & Benefits
A Federal Employee Group is Again Urging OPM to Ban All Use of Salary History in the Federal Hiring Process
An organization focused on improving gender equity at the Justice Department warned that anything short of completely banning federal agencies from considering job applicants’ salary histories could continue to perpetuate historic pay gaps in government.
Management
OPM Finalizes Rules Rescinding Provisions of Trump’s Firing Executive Order
The new regulations follow through on a 2021 executive order signed by President Biden rescinding several of the Trump administration’s personnel policies.
Workforce
A Union Has Filed a Complaint Against a Defense Agency Over Failure to Implement Biden's Voting Leave Policy
Officials with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ inaction is emblematic of the Defense Department’s propensity to “slow walk” workforce policies that benefit employees.
Management