Employee Policy
VHA: Bargaining rights within reach
Collective bargaining rights remain denied to tens of thousands of Veterans Health Administration doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. But the VA Employee Fairness Act bill, passed by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, could change all that.
Route Fifty
Segregation Has Grown Worse in Most Big Metros, Analysis Finds
"These findings were as startling as they were disturbing," says one of the study authors.
Oversight
Watchdog: Army Corps of Engineers Should Reevaluate Border Contracting Strategies
The agency said while President Trump’s border emergency was “largely undefined,” it’s considering changes for emergency responses.
Nextgov
Deputy Defense Secretary Says JEDI Cloud Update Coming Soon
Kathleen Hicks said the department will choose a path forward for enterprise cloud soon.
Management
Union: SBA Is Preventing Temporary Workers from Organizing
Although the Small Business Administration advertised temporary two-year positions processing Paycheck Protection Program loans as belonging to a bargaining unit, the agency stripped the jobs of that status after AFGE inquired about job conditions.
Management
The Battle for the Public Service Is Just Beginning
We are in the midst of a critical debate over the future of the federal workforce.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: OSHA COVID-19 Standard Takes Effect; Biden Seeks Permanent HHS Inspector General
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Defense
Texas Empties Prison to Prepare to Detain Immigrants Arrested During Ramped-Up Border Enforcement
The prison — Dolph Briscoe Unit in Dilley — will have capacity for about 1,000 people.
Workforce
GovExec Daily: What Feds Need to Know About Coming Back to Hybrid Offices
Attorney Stephanie Rapp-Tully joins the podcast to discuss the return to offices.
Employee Policy
SBA sidesteps union rights
Employees at SBA played a key role in easing the economic impact of the COVID emergency, especially in managing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that kept millions of businesses afloat. Yet many who were promised union protections have been denied their collective bargaining rights.
Employee Policy
POGO: IG vacancies raise concerns
Across federal agencies, inspectors general provide needed oversight, both deterring and investigating waste and fraud. But nowadays, according to the watchdog Project on Government Oversight, far too many permanent IG slots remain vacant for months or, in many cases, longer.
Employee Policy
NAPA panel on telework's impacts
The National Academy of Public Administration is inviting feds to join in, via Zoom, on a June 30 panel event on the future of telework, and its impacts on businesses and communities that surround federal workplaces.
Nextgov
NSA: Test Unified Communications Patches Before Installing
Guidance from the National Security Agency aims to protect communications carried over the internet from eavesdropping, denial-of-service attacks and other dangers.
Workforce
Embassy on Near Lockdown After Mass COVID-19 Outbreak Among Staff
At least 114 employees at the U.S. embassy in Kabul have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Oversight
Republicans Call for Hearing on Possible IRS Leak of Personal Taxpayer Information
Federal agencies took immediate action to investigate how a news organization got ahold of the sensitive information.
Pay & Benefits
Harriet Tubman’s Three-Decade Battle for a Federal Pension
She never did get a benefit based on her own heroic service to the Union Army.
Nextgov
U.S. Needs Tech Agency to Compete with China, Think Tank Says
The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act is just a first step when it comes to competition with China, according to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
Oversight
Senator Seeks Probe Into Potential Civil Service Violations Under Biden
Top Banking Committee Republican is demanding answers from the administration and asking the IG for a full investigation.
Nextgov
HHS Puts Up $80M to Increase Number and Diversity of Health IT Workforce
The four-year effort will focus on improving data collection—especially around race and ethnicity—and training a more diverse health informatics and technology workforce.
Pay & Benefits