Workforce

Consumer watchdog agency asks court for permission to slash its workforce by two-thirds

The argument that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can carry out its duties with one-third the staff is "laughable," a union official said.

Exclusive Workforce

The Trump administration paid these employees not to work for more than a year. It just called them back

Some employees sidelined for their diversity and inclusion jobs received a one year, stress-ridden sabbatical, but are now returning to similar jobs.

Workforce

Performance prioritized over seniority in proposed RIF rule, OSC says

COMMENTARY | The Office of Special Counsel says proposed reduction-in-force changes would give more weight to employee performance and offers its own perspective on how agencies might apply the new rules.

Workforce

Education Department staff cuts have hurt service rather than streamlined bureaucracy, say opponents on 1-year mark of RIFs

Lawmakers and education advocates at Wednesday’s press conference also emphasized that the department has hired back some employees, and Congress rejected many proposed funding reductions at Education.

Updated Management

OPM proposes new layoff rules emphasizing performance and reducing employee protections

Since a draft of the new policy began circulating last fall, federal regulators expanded those excluded from agency reduction in force rules to include all career federal workers in the government’s excepted service.

Updated Workforce

‘They are America’: Photographer spotlights civil servants who have lost their jobs under Trump 

Retired lawyer Allan Dinkoff has documented 65 ex-feds for his photography project “Targeted: Portraits of Civil Servants Under Trump.”

Management

Judiciary requests control over courthouse property management partially due to job cuts at GSA

The General Services Administration, which manages government property, said in a statement that the “American taxpayer is best served by the judiciary focusing on the rule of law while GSA continues to focus on the federal real estate portfolio.”

Workforce

Fate of CFPB employees hang in the balance as judges consider agency's future

The Trump administration is seeking authority to lay off nearly all employees at the consumer watchdog.

Updated Management

The Trump administration wants to recruit more Peace Corps volunteers with fewer agency personnel, puzzling Democratic lawmakers

Twenty-one members of Congress urged the Peace Corps to pause workforce layoffs and restructuring until officials can show that the agency will still be able to fulfill required activities and protect volunteers who are serving internationally.

Updated Oversight

‘My dream job has turned into a nightmare’: Ex-feds and public service experts testify to Congress on how to rebuild government post-Trump

Some recommendations that several Democratic lawmakers and advocates brought up included overturning Schedule Policy/Career, restoring collective bargaining rights for the federal workforce and increasing congressional oversight.

Workforce

Former feds turn to tailored job search resources to continue service-oriented work

Several nonprofits and universities are providing support to civil servants in search of new roles.

Oversight

Education Department spent up to $38M paying employees not to work before reinstating them, watchdog reports

The Government Accountability Office also reported that the caseload for the department’s Office for Civil Rights increased by an average of 98 cases per week during part of the time that these staffers were on paid leave.

Management

Lawsuit seeks to stop FEMA from cutting its workforce in half

Staff reductions at the disaster agency were put on hold last week, as it faced the recent winter storm.

Management

Some FEMA employee layoffs put on hold, while reform council renewed

The pause in reducing Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) employees comes as the U.S. faces a winter storm.

Workforce

Laid off HHS employees win judge approval to seek class action suit

Employees say they are entitled to financial compensation for the errors HHS made when trying to force them out.

Workforce

Out of government, former USAID employees continue to offer their expertise

Former development workers founded Aid on the Hill to lobby members of Congress about international assistance.