Exclusive
Workforce
Lynch: OPM’s hiring plan includes ‘blatant loyalty test’
The Trump administration last week unveiled its new ‘Merit Hiring Plan’ that in part quizzes job applicants about their favorite Trump policy or executive order.
Workforce
OPM ‘merit’ hiring plan includes bipartisan reforms, politicized new test
The federal government’s HR agency on Thursday instructed agencies to cease collecting data on the demographic makeup of their workforces.
Workforce
Agencies are violating the law on administrative leave, and taxpayers are paying the price
COMMENTARY | Administrative leave must be brief and directed toward furthering, not frustrating, agency operations.
Workforce
Judges issue promising rulings for groups fighting Trump’s anti-union order
A federal judge in Kentucky tossed the Trump administration’s bid to secure a court victory prior to formally rescinding union contracts under the guise of national security, while another jurist sought new avenues to potentially block the March executive order’s implementation.
Workforce
A judge has moved again to block Trump’s anti-union EO
Just weeks after issuing a preliminary injunction to block an edict aimed at stripping two-thirds of the federal workforce of its collective bargaining rights, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman issued a similar decision as it relates to U.S. Foreign Service officers.
Workforce
Congressional Dems urge rescission of Schedule F regulations
Though the Office of Personnel Management has estimated around 50,000 federal employees, or 2% of the workforce, would be stripped of their civil service protections under the controversial initiative, lawmakers warned a failure to define "policy-related” positions will cause far more to become at-will employees.
Exclusive
Workforce
Connolly demands rescission of regulations reviving Schedule F
The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee warned that politicization of the federal workforce will lead to more instances of “incompetence” in government.
Workforce
Judge: Trump’s national security reasoning for anti-union EO was 'pretext for retaliation'
Even when taken at face value, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said the White House did not meet the evidentiary bar to prove that collective bargaining was incompatible with national security considerations for the majority of federal agencies.
Pay & Benefits
Republicans tee up federal worker benefit cuts to pay for tax cuts
Federal workers hired in 2029 would contribute nearly 10% of their basic pay toward a less generous pension if they wish to retain their civil service protections under House lawmakers’ budget reconciliation proposal.
Workforce
To support or to sabotage: Public service and public servants in an American democracy
COMMENTARY | "Good government" organizations dedicated to public service may face a quandary when it comes to the winnowing of the federal workforce.
Workforce
Judge grills administration on ‘broad discretion’ to break up federal unions
A Justice Department attorney appeared to argue that it is within the president’s rights to strip ‘resistant’ unions of their collective bargaining rights under the auspices of national security.
Workforce
Dudek calls for entire SSA offices to be converted to new Schedule F
The planned conversions, intended for federal workers in policy-related positions, affect employees making as little as $40,000 per year.
Workforce
OPM, OMB nominees praise ‘at-will’ employment at confirmation hearing
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee considered the nominations of Scott Kupor to serve as OPM director and Eric Ueland to serve as OMB’s deputy director for management.
Exclusive
Management
Some agencies are notifying employees of their ‘Schedule F’ status
Agencies are submitting lists of employees who will lose civil service protections and some are taking a broad approach.
Workforce
Trump administration, unions already trading lawsuits over order outlawing most government labor groups
Federal agencies swiftly sued the American Federation of Government Employees last week, asking a lone Trump-appointed judge to uphold an order banning unions for two-thirds of the federal workforce.
Breaking News
Workforce
Trump order aims to outlaw most government unions on ‘national security’ grounds
An as-yet unpublished executive order purports to utilize a little-used provision allowing the president to restrict collective bargaining for national security reasons to exempt most federal jobs from union protections.
Management
Judge: Musk and Trump’s effort to disband USAID is likely unconstitutional
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang found that the Trump administration and Elon Musk violated the constitutional separation of powers and the Appointments Clause when it ordered the shuttering of the foreign aid agency.
Workforce
The Trump administration is taking steps to comply with court orders to reinstate tens of thousands of fired workers
Some employees are already receiving notices that they will rejoin the payroll.
Workforce
Workers and partners make renewed push to block Trump’s dismantling of USAID
An effort to enjoin the Trump administration from placing thousands of USAID workers on administrative leave in advance of their eventual termination failed last month.
Management