Workforce
The other time an administration sought a ‘more responsive’ federal workforce
An investigator into the Nixon administration’s civil service abuses says Schedule F shares a lineage with the disgraced former president.
Management
GSA will update its property management regulations to reflect gender inclusive pronouns
The agency previously adopted similar updates to regulations governing federal travel earlier this year.
Workforce
A gender equity group is urging ‘strict and specific’ sexual misconduct reform for the federal workforce
The Department of Justice Gender Equality Network said its employer could serve as a model, following the creation of a sexual misconduct response system at the department last year.
Pay & Benefits
GSA: Per diem rates for federal workers will increase this fall
The amount of money federal agencies will reimburse employees for traveling expenses will increase for both lodging and for meals and incidentals beginning in October.
Workforce
EEOC withdraws Trump-era proposal cancelling official time for unions reps
The commission controversially approved the idea on a party-line vote just days before President Biden’s inauguration but was caught up in a review of late Trump-era "midnight regulations."
Management
OPM and OMB unveil a new plan to improve the federal hiring ‘experience’ for both workers and HR managers
The Biden administration’s latest effort to improve the federal hiring process provides a roadmap for implementing decades-old calls for reform.
Workforce
Partnership for Public Service offers an alternative to “burning down” the civil service
The good government group traditionally has taken great pains to avoid partisan politics, but has become more outspoken since former President Trump unveiled Schedule F.
Workforce
Teleworking feds are spending 60% of their time working in person, OMB says
In a congressionally mandated report, the Office of Management and Budget rebuffed many common complaints by congressional Republicans about the popular workplace flexibility.
Management
Leaked Project 2025 training videos warn aspiring political appointees of ‘persecution’ by career feds
Though the videos don’t overtly discuss the Trump campaign or the Heritage Foundation-led transition project’s endorsement of Schedule F, conservatives repeatedly stressed the need for more “political control” of agencies.
Oversight
Senators ask Social Security for info on AI work
Though the Social Security Administration has been using artificial intelligence tools in some form for two decades, the lawmakers stressed the need to engage the public as it explores new technologies like generative AI.
Pay & Benefits
OPM’s retirement backlog continued to creep higher in July
The Office of Personnel Management processed nearly 500 fewer retirement requests than it received last month, causing its backlog to inch up for the second straight month.
Pay & Benefits
Cassidy ties proposed 30% pay and benefits cuts to federal telework
The Louisiana Republican has introduced bills to bar federal workers from receiving locality pay if they telework at least once per week and excising locality pay from all future feds’ pensions.
Workforce
Conservative senator seeks to ban official time at federal agencies
Eliminating federal compensation for unions’ time spent representing employees would shred a decades-old compromise at the heart of federal labor issues.
Pay & Benefits
Senate appropriators endorse 2% pay raise for feds next year
With neither chamber in Congress willing to override President Biden, his plan to increase federal workers’ pay by 2% on average appears headed for implementation later this year.
Management
Senate appropriators propose $500 million budget increase for Social Security overhead
The decision to include $14.7 billion for the Social Security Administration’s administrative budget sets up a fight with the House, which is proposing a nearly half billion-dollar cut.
Pay & Benefits
TSP boasts strong performance in July
Each of the portfolios in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program gained value last month.
Workforce
A Senate panel has advanced bills codifying skills-based hiring, restricting IG employees’ political activity
Bipartisan legislation would add employees in agency offices of inspectors general to the list of those “further restricted” from political activity under the Hatch Act.
Management
Senators take another crack at solving over-classification
The bipartisan Classification Reform for Transparency Act would establish a new task force to narrow the criteria for classifying documents and make it harder for agencies to exempt records from automatic declassification.
Workforce
Federal worker union shifts presidential endorsements to Harris
Labor groups at federal agencies touted Harris’ record both as a senator and vice president, particularly her co-chairwomanship of a White House task force on union issues.
Pay & Benefits