Workforce
GovExec Daily: Holiday Parties in the Age of COVID-19
Labor and employment attorney Michael Schmidt joins the podcast to discuss the ways organizations can stay safe while celebrating.
Pay & Benefits
Open Questions About Open Season
Sorting out options for federal health insurance and Medicare can be tricky.
Pay & Benefits
Thrift Savings Plan Funds Up for a Second Straight Month
Every fund in the federal government’s 401(k) style retirement plan saw gains in November, but most still remain in the negative for the year.
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.
Pay & Benefits
Feds Working During Shutdowns Not Entitled to Bonus Pay, Appeals Court Rules
The decision overturns findings from a lower court.
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.
Tech
NASA Awards $57M Contract to Build Roads on the Moon
The award will go toward developing technologies to build infrastructure like landing pads and roads on the surface of the moon.
Oversight
At Tribal Summit, Biden Pledges Federal Commitment to Indian Country
President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he is poised to designate Avi Kwa Ame, a sacred site for Native American tribes in southern Nevada, as a national monument that would ensure the preservation of ancestral lands for those 12 tribes.
Defense
GOP Senators Agitate for Vote To Repeal Vaccine Mandate
Sen. Paul said 20 senators have pledged to vote against moving the defense policy bill forward unless their amendment is brought to the floor.
Management
Biden’s Pick to Oversee Highways Moves Toward Confirmation
Shailen Bhatt previously led state transportation departments in Colorado and Delaware. He’d take the helm of an agency that has drawn flak from Republicans over infrastructure law guidance.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: The Calls to Eliminate Cabinet-Level Agencies Have a Long History
Tom Shoop joins the podcast to discuss his post about the moves to get rid of the Education Department.
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.
Management
After Providing $3B, Lawmakers Question Why USPS Isn’t Buying More EVs
The Postal Service has upped its original order of electric vehicles, but Democrats want to see far more progress after they provided the funds.
Oversight
Supreme Court Wrestles Over Biden’s Immigration Enforcement Policy
The Biden administration instructed immigration agents to focus on deporting undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of felonies or pose a danger to public safety. Texas filed a lawsuit saying the change was illegal.
Defense
The Pentagon’s Lead Intelligence Agency Has an HR Problem
Too few human-resources staffers means a constant struggle to keep up with basic personnel record-keeping and more.
Tech
The Move to Digital Government Requires More Than Just Tech
Processes, power and people are also crucial elements.
Workforce
More Republicans Died Than Democrats after COVID-19 Vaccines Came Out
The sharp divergence in excess death rates that emerged in the post-vaccine period "is pretty striking… and the magnitudes are quite large."
Pay & Benefits
Will Federal Workers Get the Gift of Extra Time Off at Christmas?
The answer depends on what day of the week that holiday falls on.
Management
A Look at Trailblazing Women at the U.S. Marshals Service Over the Years
The nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency recently signed onto a pledge to boost female recruitment.
Workforce