Management
White House Advisor Sought Legal Opinion to Allow Trump to Fire Anyone In Government
A recently published internal White House document from early in the Trump administration proved to be a road map for the White House’s efforts to weaken unions and cut federal employee pay and benefits.
Workforce
Coronavirus Roundup: Watchdog Outlines Government’s Shortcomings in Pandemic Response; Native Tribe Sues Administration Over Funding Loss
There's a lot to keep track of. Here’s today’s list of news updates and stories you may have missed.
Nextgov
Federal CIO Suzette Kent Tells Staff She’s Retiring
The government’s top IT leader is leaving government in July.
Oversight
Democrats Don’t Know How to Handle Bill Barr
Dems have a long list of grievances against Attorney General Barr, but the president’s ally at the Justice Department is proving an elusive target.
Defense
Critics, Allies Wonder What Trump’s Trying to Achieve with Troop Cuts
One GOP lawmaker worries “it’s going to hurt U.S. strategic interests more than it’s going to punish Germany.”
Route Fifty
Rhode Island Moves to Remove ‘Plantations’ From Official State Name
The full name of the country’s smallest state, “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” will be changed on official documents to remove the words that have an association with slavery.
Employee Policy
White House designs on OPM get renewed attention
The administration’s plan to dismantle the Office of Personnel Management and weaken civil servants' protections from political interference gets a fresh look.
Employee Policy
COVID comeback with a touch of CX
Agencies can help staff adapt to remote citizen service through the development of customer experience, or CX, feedback.
Defense
Same Mission, Different Pay for National Guard
Benefits for National Guard members vary widely from state to state.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: Updating Recent TSP News
Erich Wagner joins the podcast to discuss how the pandemic is affecting federal retirement.
Route Fifty
Trump Administration Weighs in Against Hawaii Quarantine Mandate for Travelers
Restrictions on out-of-state arrivals in several states have drawn court challenges. Meanwhile, New York and two other states moved ahead with a policy like this on Wednesday.
Management
Union, Trump Administration Trade Barbs in Impasse Panel Lawsuit Hearing
Attorneys for the Trump administration argued that the D.C. District Court lacks jurisdiction to hear constitutional challenges against how members of the panel are appointed, but a judge in a separate case ruled against the government on that issue Monday.
Oversight
White House Concealed Finding That OPM Merger was Illegal, Report Says
Lawmakers are livid; administration officials deny they withheld information.
Management
ICE Struggles to Protect Detained Immigrants as Coronavirus Spreads in Its Facilities
Hundreds of employees are also calling out from work as they say physical distancing is impossible and personal protective equipment is in insufficient supply.
Route Fifty
State Fairs Are the Latest Casualty of Covid-19
At least 15 states have canceled their annual fairs due to public health concerns amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, while others are moving ahead with modified, pared-down events.
Management
How Managers Can Keep Employee Morale High Right Now
These are challenging times, but there are ways to help your staff.
Pay & Benefits
More Opportunities for Online Transactions, And Other Changes at TSP
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Insights
Trust in Zero Trust?
Should you trust everything that's within your network? To learn more about Zero Trust in federal government, Government Business Council (GBC) polled federal government officials in June 2020 on Zero Trust cybersecurity.
Workforce