Nextgov

Biden Admin Touts ‘Significant Progress’ in Made in America Office's First Year

The office’s purpose is to coordinate federal efforts and maximize the use of domestic goods by taxpayer-funded federal agencies when appropriate.

Pay & Benefits

Why a Health Savings Account is a Secret Weapon in Saving for Retirement

Many federal employees can save money by switching to a high deductible health insurance plan with an HSA when they have the chance.  

Management

Democrats Ask Pentagon to End Birth Control Costs for Military Families

While active service members receive full contraceptive coverage, more than 700,000 military spouses and dependents of reproductive age still have copays for pills, implants, IUDs and other preventive measures.

Workforce

Coronavirus Roundup: Watchdog Outlines More SBA Fraud Concerns; Tax Help for Military Service Members

There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.

Management

Citizen Satisfaction With Federal Government Services Hits All-Time Low

The American Customer Satisfaction Index 2021 Federal Government Report showed citizen satisfaction in government services in a freefall over the last four years, with declines across all driving indicators of satisfaction.

Workforce

GovExec Daily: A Pause of the Vaccine Mandate for Feds

Eric Katz joins the podcast to discuss the injunction that stops enforcement of the vaccine rules.

Workforce

Labor Authority Continues Effort to Bust Immigration Judges Union, Without Management Support

It was unclear Monday how the controversial and “unprecedented” decision to decertify the National Association of Immigration Judges would play out, just six weeks after the Justice Department began voluntarily recognizing the labor group again.

News

State Department Authorizes Some Federal Employees to Leave Ukraine

“Decisions were made out of an abundance of caution,” said a department official. 

Management

Why Medicare Doesn’t Pay for Rapid At-Home Covid Tests

The laws governing Medicare don’t provide coverage for self-administered diagnostic tests, which is precisely what the rapid antigen tests are and why they are an important tool for containing the pandemic.

Management

Culture Counts: Three Ways to Achieve Better Outcomes

Employees who describe their organization’s culture as healthy are more likely to collaborate with colleagues and less likely to leave their jobs. 

Management

GovExec Daily: Vaccines, Public Health and Pandemic Guidance

The University of New Haven's Dr. Anthony J. Santella joins the podcast to discuss the public health consequences of the COVID-19 crisis.

Management

Biden’s ‘A-Team’ Turnover Shows ‘Return to Normalcy,’ Report Finds

Staff’s professional experience and transition efforts were likely stabilizing factors. 

Oversight

Biden Administration’s Rapid-Test Rollout Doesn’t Easily Reach Those Who Need It Most

Two rapid-testing initiatives the Biden administration released in the past week are inaccessible to some residents of multifamily housing, people who don’t speak English well, or those without internet access.

Pay & Benefits

OPM Issues Guidance to Ensure 67,000 Feds Make at Least $15 per Hour

Agencies have until the end of this month to exercise special pay rates to implement a $15 minimum wage, in accordance with a Biden administration executive order.

Management

The Hill Gets Serious About Digital Services

The House of Representatives is launching a digital services team, after recommendations from the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.