Management
Trump’s new civil service hiring plan: Merit or Meritless?
COMMENTARY | OPM's new Merit Hiring Plan isn't based on a new principle, but its enactment could make Schedule F look quaint, says the former vice chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Workforce
Federal workforce advocates flood opposition to renewed Schedule F
With just a day remaining before the deadline to submit comments on the Trump administration’s proposed Schedule F regulations, the vast majority of more than 30,000 submissions were opposed to the measure.
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Workforce
Lynch: OPM’s hiring plan includes ‘blatant loyalty test’
The Trump administration last week unveiled its new ‘Merit Hiring Plan’ that in part quizzes job applicants about their favorite Trump policy or executive order.
Workforce
OPM ‘merit’ hiring plan includes bipartisan reforms, politicized new test
The federal government’s HR agency on Thursday instructed agencies to cease collecting data on the demographic makeup of their workforces.
Workforce
Congressional Dems urge rescission of Schedule F regulations
Though the Office of Personnel Management has estimated around 50,000 federal employees, or 2% of the workforce, would be stripped of their civil service protections under the controversial initiative, lawmakers warned a failure to define "policy-related” positions will cause far more to become at-will employees.
Pay & Benefits
OPM touts ‘fully paperless’ retirement application, though concerns remain
Sources warn that the Trump administration has overstated both DOGE’s role in developing online retirement applications and its potential impact on the retirement process.
Management
Limited number of agency senior executives could be rated as ‘outstanding’ under Trump proposal
The Trump administration has sought to exert more political influence over members of the senior executive service.
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Workforce
Connolly demands rescission of regulations reviving Schedule F
The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee warned that politicization of the federal workforce will lead to more instances of “incompetence” in government.
Updated
Workforce
As re-firings begin, judge demands Trump administration tell probationary employees they were not let go for poor performance
Court declines to block more firings of recently hired staff, saying individual agencies are now making their own decisions.
Workforce
OPM proposes rule to formally revive Schedule F
The federal government’s dedicated HR agency estimates that 50,000 federal workers will be stripped of their civil service protections and become at-will employees.
Pay & Benefits
OPM strips career HR from Schedule C appointments, salary setting
“You’re about to see a s-------d of employees making” the maximum federal salary, one expert quipped.
Breaking News
Workforce
SCOTUS: Trump can temporarily move forward with mass firing of some probationary employees
The Supreme Court's ruling applies to 16,000 recently reinstated feds, but some of those are still protected by another court decision.
Workforce
OPM, OMB nominees praise ‘at-will’ employment at confirmation hearing
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee considered the nominations of Scott Kupor to serve as OPM director and Eric Ueland to serve as OMB’s deputy director for management.
Workforce
As agencies begin a second round of deferred resignations, unions revive legal challenge
The Housing and Urban Development Department became the latest agency to revive the controversial program that offers feds the chance to leave their jobs but continue being paid until Sept. 30.
Pay & Benefits
Federal retirement planning during uncertain times
Answers to some of your pressing questions.
Workforce
HUD won’t grant rehired probationary workers back pay, FEHB benefits, despite law requiring it
Title 5 of the U.S. Code mandates that when a federal employee is reinstated following an improper adverse personnel action, their employing agency must grant them back pay for their time spent off the job.
Workforce
Trump memo grants governmentwide firing power to OPM
Experts speculated that the measure is intended to address recent judgments against the administration’s workforce actions or to grant DOGE-aligned officials the ability to fire resisters.
Management
Regional boards for federal agency coordination officially disbanded
A recent Trump executive order mandated the end of federal executive boards, which have been around since 1961.
Workforce
Trump continues to curtail union rights and career pipelines
Guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management last week instructs agencies to ignore union contract provisions on reductions in force, and apply its policies.
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Workforce