Pay & Benefits
Most feds will have a few extra hours of paid leave this year, thanks to a calendar quirk
The Office of Personnel Management on Monday warned that many federal workers should plan to take slightly more time off to avoid forfeiting “use it or lose it” annual leave hours.
Workforce
A gender equity group still wants better protections for feds who need abortion care
One year after the Dobbs decision, President Biden signed a new executive order potentially expanding contraceptive access for federal workers, but a gender equity group at the Justice Department says more needs to be done.
Pay & Benefits
Implement locality pay changes quickly, salary council urges OPM
The annual list of recommendations, made in February but made public this month, did not alter the map of locality pay areas, but reiterated the importance of proposals already tentatively approved by the Biden administration.
Workforce
‘Protect the Health’ of Employees Amid Poor Air Quality, OPM Reminds Employees
Wildfires in Canada have encased much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in smoke and haze, raising health concerns for commuters and employees who work outside.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Wants to Do More for Federal Workers' Wellness
An initiative to “revitalize” employee assistance programs across the federal government eyes a more comprehensive approach to promoting federal employees' wellness.
Pay & Benefits
A New Guide to the Retirement Process Could Help Feds Avoid Pitfalls, Manage Expectations
OPM's new three-page guide to the federal retirement process will be updated on a monthly basis to reflect anticipated wait times for federal retirees to begin receiving their annuity payments.
Pay & Benefits
Federal Prison Employees Ask the Supreme Court to Review COVID Hazard Pay Case
Attorneys for nearly 200 U.S. Bureau of Prisons workers in Connecticut said a federal appellate court effectively made it impossible for any federal worker to qualify for hazard pay related to “virulent biologicals” with its interpretation of federal regulations.
Pay & Benefits
Ditch Salary History When Setting Job Applicants’ Pay, OPM Proposes
Aimed at reducing gender- and ethnicity-based pay gaps, the initiative would also apply tighter guard rails in cases when an applicant has a competing and higher-paying job offer.
Oversight
OSC: ATF Wasted At Least $10 Million Misclassifying Administrative Jobs as Law Enforcement
Although OPM and ATF investigations found around 100 positions within the agency’s HR department were improperly provided enhanced law enforcement pay and benefits, the whistleblowers who prompted the probe said the problem is more widespread than that.
Workforce
OPM Highlights Mental Health Resources for Feds
The federal government is setting up a new listserv to provide federal employees with mental health information, events and tools to boost mindfulness.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Tests Chatbot For Retirement Services
The retirement services chatbot is designed to answer easy questions to free up call center resources for more complex inquiries.
Management
OPM Has a Plan to Upgrade Federal Employee Data
The Office of Personnel Management released a new data strategy on Wednesday with a slew of data-related goals, including the creation of a "360-view" of federal employees across the employee lifecycle.
Workforce
OPM Denied 20% of Agency Requests to Let Politicals Convert Into Career Roles
In another 23% of cases, agencies failed to seek permission before letting political appointees "burrow in."
Workforce
OPM Will End Agencies’ Maximum Telework Status Next Month
The move follows White House guidance last week instructing federal agencies to reduce the use of workplace flexibilities following the end of the COVID-19 national emergency.
Pay & Benefits
Feds Could Soon See Better Child Care Options Under a New Executive Order
A plan to revamp federal employees’ access to child care came Tuesday as part of a broad effort by President Biden to improve the affordability of care services for children and adult family members, as well as boost care workers’ compensation.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Starts the Process of Booting USPS Employees to a New Health Care Program
Health care premiums will likely go down for feds across the board as Medicare absorbs more costs, Biden administration predicts.
Workforce
OPM Supports Transgender Feds in New Guidance
On International Transgender Day of Visibility, the federal government’s HR agency tasked agencies with updating their policies to ensure they are inclusive toward gender non-conforming employees.
Workforce
Not Even the Best Places to Work in Government Were Immune to Federal Employee Morale Decline Last Year
The Partnership for Public Service on Wednesday released the first batch of rankings from its annual analysis of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
Workforce
Telework Isn't to Blame for Government Backlogs and Inefficiencies, OPM Director Says
Kiran Ahuja defends telework before skeptical Republicans, amid efforts to improve data collection around agencies’ use of workplace flexibilities.
Workforce
Workforce and Service Delivery Still Front and Center in Biden’s 2024 Budget
The White House’s fiscal roadmap continues to focus on rebuilding the federal workforce and making it easier to obtain services from agencies.
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