Management
The Trump White House Altered Early Pandemic Guidance and Muzzled Career Scientists, Documents Show
White House advisors said CDC's guidance on religious services was "problematic" and "offensive."
Oversight
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Biden Administration Over Asylum Plan
The plan would overhaul the process for migrants seeking asylum, aiming to reduce the average wait time for a decision from five years to six months.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: A Watchdog Highlights Concerns of Payment Integrity in COVID Funds
There’s a lot to keep track of. Here’s a list of this week’s news updates and stories you may have missed.
Defense
$33B Request Will Help Ukraine Fight Russia In The ‘Longer Term,’ Biden Says
Politics threaten to derail the request on Capitol Hill.
Defense
Boeing’s Low-Ball Defense Bidding Has Come Back to Bite Them
The company has lost billions of dollars and the pandemic is making things worse.
Employee Policy
WH confident agency staffing is adequate to handle expected increase of migrants
DHS is hiring contractors, deploying staff and engaging with other agencies, but says it will not sacrifice any part of its mission.
Oversight
IRS Balks at Public Free-file Suggestion From Government Watchdog
The Government Accountability Office thinks the IRS should identify and create more free-filing options for taxpayers, but the IRS says that it "does not believe a public free-filing option would significantly improve the taxpayer experience."
Workforce
Formula Pins Down What Gets People in the ‘Flow’
Can you get yourself into a creative and productive "flow" intentionally? Researchers say it is possible and have created a formula to explain it
Management
GovExec Daily: The Controversies Surrounding Reparations Programs
Tom Shoop joins the podcast to discuss the uproar over programs to provide redress for racial discrimination.
Pay & Benefits
More Than 60 Democratic Lawmakers Want a 5.1% Raise for Feds
The lawmakers asked the leadership of the House Appropriations Committee to override President Biden’s plan to offer an average 4.6% raise for federal employees in 2023.
Pay & Benefits
When the Sum in a Lump Sum Payment Falls Short
Some employees who retired at the end of last year got smaller payments than expected.
Management
GSA Wants Feedback on DEIA in Construction and Design Initiatives
This furthers executive orders from President Biden and GSA’s equity action plan.
Workforce
Federal Employees Are Growing Less Engaged and Less Satisfied With Their Jobs
Response rates for the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey also fell 10 points from 2020, amid an abbreviated fall survey period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Management
USPS Is Facing New Legal Challenges to Its Vehicle Contract and Its Authority to Increase Prices
Environmental groups and a union are suing the Postal Service over its failure to buy more electric vehicles, while mailers are fighting rate hikes.
Employee Policy
April 28: Workers Memorial Day
Workers Memorial Day honors those who have lost their lives on the job, while recognizing the evolving successes of workplace safety efforts—in the federal government, led by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), now pressing for improvements for five decades. Government and unions are marking the day.
Workforce
The State Department Is Tapping an Assessment-Based Hiring Process for Data Scientists
The department hit its applicant cap in one day after posting a job listing seeking 50 data scientists.
Defense
CEO: Boeing Should Have Rejected Trump’s Air Force One Deal
The company revealed that it has lost $660 million outfitting the next presidential jets—so far.
Tech
Bernie Sanders Wants Amazon Debarred from Federal Contracting
The Vermont lawmaker cites the company's anti-union activity in a letter urging President Biden to eliminate the e-commerce and cloud behemoth from federal contracts.
Employee Policy
Staring at yourself on Zoom has serious mental health consequences
Mirrors, selfies and knowing other people are looking at you all cause people to think of themselves as objects. Video calls are all three rolled into one—and likely worsen the harms of self-objectification, especially for women.
Management