Management
Union: VA Continues Stonewalling Contract Negotiations Despite Biden Order
In the two weeks since President Biden signed an executive order instructing agencies to work collaboratively with labor groups, the VA has continued Trump-era tactics against its largest union, AFGE says.
Management
Biden's VA Pick Says He Can 'Unstick Problems' Within the Bureaucracy
Denis McDonough pledges to continue the status quo on private sector health care and provide more resources for VA employees.
Workforce
VA Expands Vaccination to Some Non-Health Care Staff as Postal Workers Face Uncertainty
Agencies have started vaccinations for more than 1 million people, but many federal workers have not received clear guidance.
Workforce
VA Is Increasingly Leaning on Contract Nurses as COVID-19 Cases Surge
Employees lament staffing shortages even as VA has brought on 66,000 new workers since the novel coronavirus pandemic began.
Workforce
Court Affirms Senior Executives in Government Have Only Limited Appeal Rights
Court also issues another defeat to President Trump's signature civil service reform law.
Management
VA Flags Potential Staffing, Resource Hurdles in Vaccine Distribution
The department will start with a small distribution of doses, but expects a series of hurdles in inoculating its entire workforce and network.
Management
Senators Raise Concerns Over Burrowing In, Other 'Midnight' Activities at VA
Rushed policies and hiring decisions "should be left to the incoming administration," lawmakers say.
Workforce
Internal Documents Detail Who VA Will Vaccinate First
The Veterans Affairs Department's multi-tiered plan prioritizes delivering COVID-19 inoculations to high-risk staff and patients.
Management
A Member of Your Household Tests Positive for COVID-19? VA Says Keep on Working
Department tells employees not to quarantine until they start feeling sick.
Pay & Benefits
Panel Deals Major Blow to Trump's Signature Civil Service Reform, Calls for Rehiring of Fired Workers
Labor authority says administration violated a contract in implementing a 2017 law.
Management
Federal Panel Strips VA Worker Rights in Latest Pro-Management Decision
Although the Federal Service Impasses Panel scolded VA for its overbroad reliance on management rights to eviscerate its contract with a labor union, the panel still ruled mostly in the department’s favor.
Management
Federal Manager, Contractor Dead Following Explosion at VA Facility
Another contractor is missing, and three individuals are injured.
Management
How You Can Help Veterans Every Day
The rate of death by suicide is rising among veterans. The most common stressor is a serious relationship difficulty.
Management
Veterans Affairs Secretary Headlines GOP Fundraiser as COVID-19 Cases Surge
Electioneering by a cabinet secretary is unusual by historical standards, but Trump administration officials continue to show no reluctance to play politics.
Management
White VA Employees Twice as Likely to Be Promoted as Black Workers
The American Federation of Government Employees said Thursday that new data it obtained via the Freedom of Information Act underscores its allegations of systemic racism pervading the Veterans Affairs Department.
Management
Civil Rights Groups Pressure VA Ahead of GAO Racism Audit
GAO has agreed to investigate the prevalence racism at the Veterans Affairs Department after a survey revealed that the vast majority of bargaining unit employees had either experienced or witnessed acts of discrimination on the job.
Workforce
Office Created to Protect Whistleblowers and Discipline Senior Execs Is Doing Little of Either
Trump has praised the office, but a new internal report shows it has recommended discipline in just 0.2% of cases.
Oversight
GAO: Federal Agencies Lag in Retaining Veteran Employees
Between fiscal 2014 and 2018, nearly 7% of veterans left federal service, compared with only 5% of non-veterans, the watchdog agency found.
Management
Vast Majority of VA Employees Have Either Witnessed Or Experienced Racism at Work, Survey Finds
Nearly 76% of respondents to union survey have experienced "racially charged actions," and three-quarters of those who haven't experienced incidents themselves say they have witnessed them.
Workforce