Workforce
VA Sees Spike in COVID-19 Deaths Among Employees in August
"Oh no, here we go again," employees say of current conditions at VA facilities.
Pay & Benefits
Biden Formalizes Plan for Average 2.7% Raise for Civilian Feds in 2022
The White House published an alternative pay plan for the federal workforce providing a 2.2% across the board raise along with an average increase of 0.5% to locality pay.
Management
Manhattan Jail Where Jeffrey Epstein Died to Close At Least Temporarily
The 200-plus inmates will be relocated and staff might be transferred or furloughed, but it is unclear so far.
Management
WeWork and Other Co-Working Spaces to Be an Option for Feds
GSA will issue guidance to agencies on how to take advantage of this first-ever contract.
Nextgov
Army Wants to Install Facial Recognition, Video Analytics at Child Development Centers
The branch plans to pilot a new facial recognition system at the daycare facility at Fort Jackson.
Route Fifty
Supreme Court Ruling Allows Evictions to Resume
The 6-3 ruling found that the CDC did not have the authority to impose an eviction ban that was set to last until October.
Management
Coronavirus Roundup: Questions on Vaccine and Testing Programs for Feds; COVID Oversight Committee Boosts Use of Analytics and AI
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Defense
US Navy Will Upgrade Warships to Add Unnamed Space Capabilities
“Everything is classified” when it comes to space, one admiral complained.
Defense
13 US Troops Killed, More Injured, in Terrorist Attack at Kabul Airport
10 Marines among the dead; they were securing one of the last gates open for Afghans, Americans to escape.
Workforce
How Zoom Messed up Access for Disabled Users
"Zoom's update didn't so much solve inaccessibility as shine a spotlight on it," writes Courtney Wade. But there are actions we can take to improve our workplaces.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: The 2017 VA Accountability Law and the Courts
Attorney Conor Dirks joins the podcast to discuss two cases that knock down the agency's interpretation of the rule.
Employee Policy
DHS stands up new excepted service for cyber talent
The new human resources system, launching seven years after legislation authorizing special pay for cybersecurity specialists, is a complete move away from traditional federal HR practices, the agency said.
Employee Policy
WH: Feds to get 2.7% pay raise
The White House has announced that an average 2.7% pay increase for civilian federal employees will take effect next year, in line with its budget plan issued earlier this year.
Nextgov
CISA Encourages Mitigations in Face of OnePercent Group
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency shared an FBI flash report on the group which provides insight into the extent of the ransomware business ecosystem.
Route Fifty
Governor Has Oversight of Mask Decisions, A State Supreme Court Rules
Texas’ highest court issued a ruling Thursday that blocks school districts in Bexar County from enforcing mask mandates.
Pay & Benefits
Sorry, These Retirement Rumors Just Aren’t True
If it sounds too good to be true—well, you know the rest.
Workforce
Postal Service to Hire 100,000 Employees in 2021
The hiring is part of a $40 billion investment in the mailing agency's workforce and infrastructure.
Nextgov
Facial Recognition Tech Use Increasing Among Federal Agencies
Use cases included criminal investigations, building security and access to digital assets like smartphones and security agency websites.
Management
Organizations Urge Expansion of Visa Program to Help Subcontractor and Subgrantee Employees Leave Afghanistan
Currently such employees do not qualify for special visa programs, leaving them in a precarious situation as evacuation efforts grow more difficult.
Pay & Benefits