Pay & Benefits

Federal Employees Have a Good Chance of Getting Christmas Eve Off This Year

Presidents have historically granted feds a vacation day on Dec. 24 to make a four-day weekend in years when Christmas falls on a Tuesday.

Management

John Bolton Won’t Listen To The Khashoggi Murder Tape Because It’s In Arabic

"What do you think I'll learn from it?" Trump's top national security advisor asked reporters at the White House.

Defense

Trump to Stick with Saudi Arabia in Spite of Khashoggi Killing

The president reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Riyadh — and said the crown prince may have known of plans to murder the U.S.-based journalist.

Management

Can Marine One Fly in the Rain?

The White House’s explanation of President Trump’s absence from a ceremony in France raises more questions than it answers.

Oversight

Trump Repeatedly Threatens Retaliation Against Russia Investigators

Congressman Adam Schiff has plans to probe several uncomfortable subjects for the Trump administration, and the president is ready to fight.

Management

What Sessions’s Resignation Means for Robert Mueller

His temporary replacement, Matthew Whitaker, has expressed skepticism over the scope of the Russia investigation—which he’ll now oversee.

Pay & Benefits

Feds Petition President for Paid Holiday on Christmas Eve

When Christmas last fell on a Friday in 2009, Obama gave employees a half day off on Dec. 24.

Benefits

White House announces actions to improve vets' mental health care

President Obama announced 19 executive actions that direct the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to improve mental health care for veterans, service members and their families.

Employee Policy

President directs agencies to expand access to work flexibilities

President Obama issued a memorandum directing departments and agencies to expand access to a range of workplace flexibilities and work-life programs.

Employee Policy

VA's Shinseki steps down

Shortly after publicly taking responsibility for problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs on May 30, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki tendered his resignation as leader of the organization.

Employee Policy

Postal unions pool efforts to oppose White House reform proposal

The leaders of four major postal unions wrote a letter to the leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to express their opposition to the president's budget proposals concerning the U.S. Postal Service—as well as the committee's plans to try to marry those proposals with its own legislation.

Employee Policy

Sibelius to resign; Obama to nominate OMB director to head HHS

President Obama announced his intention to nominate Director of the Office of Management and Budget Sylvia Mathews Burwell to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

Pay

Union calls for 4 percent raise

The head of the American Federation of Government Employees is calling for a fiscal 2015 pay hike for federal employees that is four times the size of the one to the president will propose.

Pay

President ups minimum wage for federal contract workers

President Obama this month signed an executive order to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for federal contract workers—and encouraged Congress to extend the increase to other workers, as well.

Retirement

President's budget proposal will not include 'chained CPI'

The president's upcoming budget proposal will not include a controversial new method for calculating cost-of-living adjustments, a White House spokesman confirmed this week.