Pay & Benefits
Pay Agent Approves New Locality Pay Area, Calls for Legislative Changes to All Federal Pay
Federal workers Des Moines, Iowa, and Imperial County, California, will be the next in line to receive raises in the form of locality pay, likely beginning in 2021.
Route Fifty
The Places Where Growth in Home Values Could Lag in 2020
New survey results offer predictions for where gains in home values could be strongest and weakest during the year ahead.
Oversight
OSHA Cites Bureau of Prisons Facility for Unsafe Working Conditions
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration found “serious” problems at a Florida prison, prompting the first ever citation for BOP.
Nextgov
Oracle’s JEDI Appeal Continues
There was an abundance of legal activity over the holidays in Oracle’s JEDI appeal.
Route Fifty
A State Restarts Its Electric Vehicle Rebates
Massachusetts extended its rebate program through at least 2021 after legislators provided funding for the program in the most recent budget.
Nextgov
Military Seeks Tech to Extract Drinking Water From the Atmosphere for Troops
The Pentagon’s research agency launched a new program and solicitation to develop cutting-edge devices that troops can use to capture potable water straight from the atmosphere.
Management
The IRS Tried to Crack Down on Rich People Using an 'Abusive' Tax Deduction. It Hasn’t Gone So Well.
The tax agency, Justice Department and Congress have all taken aim at a much-abused deduction exploited by wealthy investors. Yet the crackdown is having minimal impact, costing the Treasury billions.
Defense
Health is Veterans’ Biggest Challenge in First Year Home
A survey of almost 10,000 veterans shows that health concerns rank highest among worries for vets transitioning back to civilian life.
Workforce
Seeking ‘Assorted Weirdos’ for the Civil Service Across the Pond
The kind of people who “don’t conform to the horrors of human resources” are encouraged to apply for work in the British government.
Route Fifty
U.S. Population Growing Very Slowly, Census Bureau Says
Ten states lost residents in 2019. But despite the country’s population gains slowing to a crawl, some states are attracting more residents, with Idaho and Nevada growing fastest.
Nextgov
Another Federal Employee Caught Watching Porn at Work
The employee admitted watching adult pornography at work but retired amid a government investigation.
Route Fifty
Pension Cuts May Pose Special Risks For Public Workers Not Covered by Social Security
About 5 million state and local workers are outside of the federal retirement program.
Pay & Benefits
Paying Taxes While Receiving Benefits
The answer to a common question about Social Security and Medicare.
Management
Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Trump’s Deregulation Plan
Plaintiffs challenged an executive order requiring agencies to eliminate two regulations for every new one they introduce.
Route Fifty
Tariffs Drove Manufacturing Job Losses, Fed Report Says
President Trump said that tariffs would boost U.S. manufacturing. New research found, so far, that isn’t the case.
Nextgov
Government Makes Strides Sharing Cyber Threat Information
The government’s only laggard complying with the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 is the Defense Department.
Pay & Benefits
Nearly All TSP Portfolios End 2019 in the Black
Every fund in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program gained value last year.
Oversight
IRS Reforms Free File Program, Drops Agreement Not to Compete With TurboTax
The changes come after ProPublica’s reporting showed how TurboTax maker Intuit tricked customers into paying for tax prep they could have gotten for free.
Nextgov
How the U.S. Made Hops, Skips and Leaps in Quantum Computing in 2019
Game-changing results may not be so far off.
Management