Pay & Benefits
Locality Pay Tweaks, Proposed Social Security Benefit Changes and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Employee Policy
These are the winners for the annual ‘Oscars of government service’
These awards are especially important “during these turbulent times when federal employees have been threatened and demonized,” nonprofit leader says.
Defense
The Space Force Has a Song
The song honors the “invisible front line” of warfighters keeping watch “beyond the blue.”
Management
The VA Owned Up to Acquisition Woes During a House Hearing
Lawmakers grilled Veterans Affairs Department officials over a series of significant failures within its acquisition programs and modernization efforts.
Management
The FDA’s Internal Review of the Infant Formula Shortage Found Workforce Problems
Staffing shortages and insufficient training contributed to the crisis, investigators said.
Employee Policy
Telework: FDIC is already reneging on new telework agreement, union says
NTEU says employees at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation were promised telework—with no need to return to the office regularly. But then, contrary to that pledge, managers made attendance at weekly check-in meetings mandatory.
Employee Policy
A House panel advances legislation to protect feds during pandemics
The Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act proposes to require federal agencies to develop and publish workplace safety plans, to get ready for future pandemics.
Defense
Vax Refusal Poised to Deepen National Guard’s End-Strength Shortage
The Guard is missing its goals for the first time in several years, and worse is expected to come.
Nextgov
Acquisition Failures at VA Lead to Congressional Calls for Enhanced Oversight
Republican leaders on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee want the VA to halt major purchases until a new binding acquisition management framework is implemented.
Pay
Troops worry most about inflation, Air Force Secretary says
Frank Kendall said he’s reversing planned cuts to special duty pay.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: Preparing For the Midterm Elections at the Election Assistance Commission
Courtney Bublé speaks to Thomas Hicks, EAC chair, about the upcoming November elections on the podcast.
Management
Federal Agencies Are Sending Hundreds of Employees to Puerto Rico to Help With Hurricane Response
FEMA already had a significant presence on the island due to ongoing recovery efforts.
Management
Biden Said the ‘Pandemic is Over,’ Now Republicans Want the Administration to Act
According to the White House press secretary, the president said we must keep fighting the pandemic, but “we can acknowledge the massive amount of progress that we have made.”
Workforce
A House Panel Overwhelmingly Advanced Legislation to Protect Federal Workers During Pandemics
The Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act would require federal agencies to develop and publish workplace safety plans to prepare for future pandemics.
Employee Policy
IRS has funding to hire tens of thousands. Can it do it?
IRS hiring has been thrust into the spotlight, but augmenting the agency's workforce is still far from guaranteed.
Nextgov
DHS to Begin Electric Vehicle Adoption for Law Enforcement
The Mustang Mach-E model is currently undergoing cybersecurity risk tests.
Employee Policy
Senators want to know how agencies are spending money to meet management goals
A new bipartisan bill would empower a central office to coordinate and track execution of the president's management agenda. Two senators, each from their separate side of the aisle, are digging into the issue.
Management
Lawmakers Are Setting a Tight Schedule to Avoid a Government Shutdown
Senate Democrats plan to unveil a bill Wednesday, but will hold off on a vote in an effort to rally support for it.
Workforce
Mars Is Littered with 15,694 Pounds of Human Trash from 50 Years of Robotic Exploration
Discarded pieces of landing gear, crashed spacecraft and wear and tear have produced a lot of debris that is now scattered around the Martian surface.
Defense