Defense
The Defense Industry is Struggling with Capacity, Report Says
In its annual Vital Signs report for 2022, the National Defense Industrial Association, found that disruptions from COVID-19 continued to exacerbate workforce challenges.
Pay & Benefits
The VA’s Nurses Are One Step Closer to Getting a Big Pay Raise
Measure granting the raises passes a House committee, but loses bipartisan support after Republicans seek to block department’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Defense
The Defense Health Record System Still Faces Cyber and Training Issues
The annual report from the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation at the Department of Defense finds some improvement but ongoing issues with MHS Genesis.
Defense
The Army Will Start Involuntary Separations for 3,300 Soldiers Who Refused a COVID Vaccine
Another 5,870 soldiers have pending exemption requests.
Tech
Agencies Are Tapping a Facial Recognition Company to Prove You’re You. That Raises Concerns about Privacy, Accuracy and Fairness
Federal and state governments are turning to a facial recognition company to ensure that people accessing services are who they say they are. The move promises to cut down on fraud, but at what cost?
Oversight
Despite Biden’s Efforts on Ethics, Some Observers Say More Safeguards Are Needed
“We’re in kind of a post-Watergate era right now,” said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, government affairs manager at the Project on Government Oversight. “I think that’s exactly the time you want to do something like a reform of government ethics.”
Tech
GovExec Daily: The NSF Director Says Science Is Leading the Way
Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan joins the podcast to discuss the agency's efforts to promote STEM education and to unlock the potential in all American communities.
Employee Policy
Report: MSPB alum says panel faces 5 year backlog
A former member of the Merit Systems Protection Board says the backlog of long-suspended work of the panel will take half a decade to plow through.
Pay & Benefits
Better Benefits for Families of Feds Who Die on the Job, and Better Pay for TSA Agents
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Workforce
It Will Cost Up to $5 Million a Week to Test Unvaccinated Feds While Biden's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Is Paused
The estimate comes as part of information the Biden administration provided the court in Texas that handed down the injunction.
Benefits
GAO: Again, problems found in VA’s health records rollout
Audit finds that data quality and stakeholder engagement are two key issues with the rollout.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: The NIH Releases a New Pandemic Preparedness Plan
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Workforce
A New NAPA Report Backs a Shift in Leadership for Cyber Workforce Development
A new study from the National Academy of Public Administration recommends that the newly established Office of the National Cyber Director develop and implement a coordinated, multi-sector strategy for the cybersecurity workforce, which faces chronic workforce shortages.
Tech
Opinion: Is There a Place For Spirituality in Space Science?
A top NASA official’s biblical remarks about the James Webb Space Telescope sparked an outcry. But they’re nothing new.
Management
Using Behavioral Science is One Way to Increase Satisfaction With Government Services
The success of the new federal COVID test kit website shows what behavioral science can offer to help make services more accessible.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: Marijuana May Still Be a Problem for Security Clearances
Federal employment attorney Aaron Herreras Szot joins the podcast to discuss the climate around cannabis use and security concerns.
Workforce
The Infrastructure Law Will Require Thousands of New Feds, and the Biden Team Is Giving Special Permission to Hire Them Quickly
OPM is also pushing special hiring authority for HR staff.
Management
Biden’s OMB Nominee Plans to Keep Prioritizing Oversight and Ending Government Shutdowns
Shalanda Young has been acting OMB director for almost a year.
Workforce
An Appeals Court Has Overturned Another Decision That Made Life Harder for Federal Employee Unions
For the second time in a week, a three-judge panel struck down a controversial FLRA policy statement, citing “conclusory and counterintuitive assertions” underlying a decision weakening unions’ ability to negotiate over changes to working conditions.
Management