Pay & Benefits
OPM taps insurance carriers to service new USPS benefits exchange
The federal HR agency conditionally selected 32 carrier applications to provide health coverage to U.S. Postal employees, annuitants and family members starting in 2025.
Management
GOP bill aims to limit IRS’ use of AI
The legislation — cosponsored by Reps. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Eric Burlison, R- Mo. — could look to put new restrictions on the tax agency’s deployment of AI in its revenue enforcement efforts and require staff to launch new investigations.
Pay & Benefits
Employee groups air their disappointment with Biden’s 2% raise proposal
Multiple groups representing federal employees expressed their displeasure this week at the White House’s proposed pay raise, noting that it falls both behind the cost of inflation and military compensation.
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Management
Biden’s FY25 budget tops $7.3 trillion with increases for defense, agriculture
The president’s budget request emphasized ongoing climate-based initiatives but leaned into gains for the Agriculture, Defense, Education, Energy and other departments.
Management
A new federal office to gameplan for future crises?
A cadre of federal and industry officials are on a mission to scale the practice of strategic foresight across the federal government to help improve agency response to future challenges.
Management
OPM offers data guidance to help inform new federal executives website
The recent guidance details how agencies are to collect and report data to the HR agency’s new public-facing website detailing the names, roles and pay levels of thousands of federal executives.
Management
GSA hasn’t performed asbestos inspections at 66% of buildings requiring them, GAO says
The watchdog found that more than 600 federal buildings weren’t in compliance with GSA’s own asbestos management policy requiring facilities to be examined every five years.
Pay & Benefits
OPM wants to entice more AI talent with new benefits guidance
The HR agency unveiled new pay and benefits flexibilities to help snag in-demand workers with expertise in artificial intelligence technology.
Oversight
House Committee wants to interview 8 VA officials in harassment probe
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., sent a letter asking for interviews with several senior leaders as part of the committee’s ongoing investigation into sexual harassment allegations in one of the department’s offices.
Oversight
Senator wants USPS to address veteran medication delays
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mt., wants answers from the Postmaster General about ongoing issues veterans have had receiving VA-prescribed medications by mail.
Management
Some DHS agencies are more likely to discipline employees than supervisors, GAO says
The watchdog said data gaps in the disciplinary adjudication process at four Homeland Security component agencies meant that they were unable to identify why rank-and-file employees were more likely than supervisors to face misconduct judgments.
Oversight
VA secretary says he ‘failed’ in recognizing office harassment allegations
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough candidly admitted fault during a House committee hearing for not discerning more quickly whistleblower complaints of sexual harassment within a department office.
Pay & Benefits
10 years on, OPM keeps its pay freeze in place for senior officials
With budget negotiations ongoing, OPM officials said that the pay rates for the vice president and other senior political officials will remain frozen until at least the expiration of the latest continuing resolution.
Management
VA lacks the emergency budget modeling to prepare for health crises like COVID, GAO says
The watchdog said that the Veterans Health Administration does not have the modeling capability to predict how much supplemental funding would be needed to address a black swan event like the pandemic.
Management
OPM’s talent acquisition system needs better processes for managing agencies’ data
A GAO report found that OPM’s USA Staffing program lacked procedures for managing the interagency agreement data used when agencies utilized its talent acquisition system.
Pay & Benefits
Some Coast Guard personnel can’t find housing in vacation-rich areas, GAO says
The watchdog said that despite some government housing and a private sector housing allowance, some Coast Guard personnel can’t find affordable lodging stationed in either remote areas or ones where rentals are positioned for vacation economies.
Pay & Benefits
Secret Service overtime pay locked in through 2028
The House passed legislation Monday to extend overtime pay authority for agents providing protective services through the next presidential election cycle after it was slated to lapse last month.
Pay & Benefits
OPM: Federal salaries won't be tied to private sector pay histories
Agencies can’t use non-federal salaries to help set pay for new or returning federal employees, under a new rule from the Office of Personnel Management.
Oversight
House Democrats pen fiery letter to embattled DHS inspector general demanding documents
The ranking members of the House Committees on Oversight and Accountability and Homeland Security demanded documents from the DHS IG related to a court settlement with a former deputy inspector general after repeated requests remained unfulfilled.
Management
Want to modernize the federal workforce? Here's how
A new nonprofit study examines how the federal government could update the civil service to both capture new talent and capitalize on its available talent.
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