Management
OPM Again Extends Deadline for Agencies to Adopt Skills-Based Hiring
The government's personnel agency said final guidance on implementing skills-based hiring assessments, rather than purely educational attainment, is coming soon.
Management
Presidential Rank Award Winners Announced After a Year’s Hiatus
This year there are 230 winners from 37 agencies.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Reminds Agencies to Provide Feds Leave for COVID-19 Boosters
Agencies should also grant leave to federal workers who need time off to take family members to get a booster of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Workforce
Ahuja: OPM Has Hired More than 300 as Part of Agency Rebuild
The director of the Office of Personnel Management said a recent report on how to reform the HR agency has “galvanized” its workforce in support of change.
Management
House Panel Advances OPM Reform Legislation
Republicans opposed the bill aimed at insulating the Office of Personnel Management from political interference, arguing that doing so would lead to “unaccountable bureaucrats.”
Workforce
House Panel Examines Recruitment and Telework for the ‘Next Generation’ of Feds
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said Wednesday that he is introducing legislation to reform the federal government’s internship programs and writing a bill to expand agencies’ metrics regarding telework following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pay & Benefits
GAO: Key Locality Pay Decisions Stalled by Lack of Biden Appointees
Although the Federal Salary Council could clear up years of disagreements that cropped up during the Trump administration, President Biden has thus far failed to appoint any members to the advisory body.
Management
Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Insulate OPM From Political Interference
Legislation would require presidents to nominate OPM directors without political considerations and make them the president’s “principal advisor” on federal workforce issues.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Director Reaffirms that Essential Feds Will Have Annual Leave Restored Due to COVID-19
Federal employees deemed essential to combatting the pandemic will again be able to carry over unused annual leave that exceeds the typical cap in January.
Pay & Benefits
Biden Signs Wildland Firefighter Pay Reform Into Law as Part of Infrastructure Package
Some federal wildland firefighters could see up to a $20,000 increase in base pay, and their positions will shift to a new “wildland firefighter” occupational series.
Pay & Benefits
OPM to Offer Same-Sex Spouses Another Chance at Survivor Benefits
A new notice this week announced that the federal government’s HR agency is waiving the requirement that a widow or widower be married to a federal worker for nine months to be eligible for survivor benefits in some cases.
Workforce
OPM Encourages Agencies to Expand Telework, Remote Work Permanently in New Guidance
The Office of Personnel Management on Friday issued its first major update to its telework guide in a decade.
Workforce
OPM: Agencies Must Provide Time Off for Feds to Get Their Kids Vaccinated Against COVID-19
The federal government’s HR agency reminded officials that they must provide employees administrative leave to accompany children getting the COVID-19 vaccine, following approval of the vaccine for 5- through 11-year-olds.
Workforce
OPM Rule Makes It Easier to Hire Recent College Grads
Under a new hiring authority, federal job applicants who graduated with a bachelor’s or master’s degree within the last two years can be hired outside of the competitive process at up to a GS-11 salary.
Workforce
Federal Agencies to Inform New Hires of Union Eligibility, Rights
As part of the Biden administration’s initiative to promote collective bargaining in the federal government, agencies also will be expected to inform current employees of their union rights at least twice per year.
Pay & Benefits
OPM to Propose Expanding Dental and Vision Benefits to More Federal Workers
In a new proposed rule, OPM would extend eligibility to temporary and part-time workers, as well as federal firefighters and other “intermittent” first responders.
Pay & Benefits
Annual Employee Viewpoint Survey Coming Next Month, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Oversight
ATF Misclassified Jobs as Law Enforcement and Retaliated Against Whistleblower, Agencies Say
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is demanding additional information after revelations that the Office of Personnel Management partially suspended the agency’s authority to classify positions.
Management
OPM’s Telework Initiatives Dovetail with Climate Change Planning
The agency announced a program to connect leaders from the private and nonprofit sectors with federal agencies to address climate change.
Workforce