Author Archive
Management
Senate Appropriators Join House in Blocking OPM-GSA Merger
Senators go with Trump's latest proposal for a 2.6% civilian pay raise for 2020 but no locality increase, while the House has approved an average 3.1% raise.
Management
Senate Panel Would Not Block USDA Science Agency Relocations in Spending Bill
Democrats vow to continue to fight to stop the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture from moving to Kansas City later this year.
Pay & Benefits
TSP: Thousands Already Making Use of New Withdrawal System
The board that governs the 401(k)-style retirement savings program authorized a 6.9% budget increase for the agency Monday.
Management
OPM Moves to Implement Parts of Trump Order Easing Firing of Feds
Proposed rules would remind managers when new hires are approaching the end of probationary periods and streamline firing procedures.
Management
Weichert: Agencies Should Include Experts in Hiring Process
Guidance from the Office of Personnel Management encourages a renewed focus on competencies, rather than “minimum qualifications.”
Management
Days Before Planned Move, USDA Delays Relocation Date for Some Science Agency Employees
Feds at two research agencies have begun receiving letters pushing back the report date to Kansas City, but that decision could imperil employees' $10,000 buyouts.
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Pay & Benefits
Details on the President’s Proposed 2020 Pay Raise, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Controversial OPM Nominee Confirmed Mostly Along Party Lines
Senate approves Dale Cabaniss despite concerns regarding her past governmental experience and plans to merge the agency with the General Services Administration.
Oversight
FEMA Officials Charged With Bribery Over Puerto Rico Power Contracts
A 15-count federal indictment accuses two former FEMA officials and a contractor with bribery, fraud and other offenses related to disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017.
Pay & Benefits
Defense Employee Health Support Programs Restored After Weeklong Outage
Department officials said a "previously unidentified contracting issue" led to a temporary suspension of programs designed to help employees cope with substance abuse and other mental health problems.
Management
House Democrats Urge Leadership to Stand Firm on Union Protections in Spending Bills
More than 200 lawmakers insisted that appropriators protect a House-passed provision blocking agencies from implementing union contracts mandated by the Federal Service Impasses Panel.
Workforce
Union Lawsuit Accuses Administration of Violating Injunction against Workforce Orders
A New York local argues that by implementing provisions of Trump’s workforce executive orders through collective bargaining, agencies violated a U.S. District Court injunction.
Pay & Benefits
Employee Groups Encouraged by End to Pay Freeze Threat
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
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Pay & Benefits
Most TSP Funds Take a Tumble in August
Only two of the Thrift Savings Plan’s portfolios ended last month in the black.
Pay & Benefits
Trump Endorses 2.6% Across the Board Pay Raise for Federal Workers
In a surprise move Friday, the president abandoned his quest for a pay freeze in 2020, although there will be no locality pay adjustment under his plan.
Management
Unions Request Rehearing of Trump's Federal Workforce Orders Case
Attorneys argue that a three-judge panel erred in overturning an injunction against three controversial executive orders on jurisdictional grounds. The outcome could have enormous consequences for federal employees.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers Question TSP Foreign Investment Decisions, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Oversight
Patent and Trademark Office Examiners Receive Monetary Awards With Insufficient Oversight
Some staff are allowed to make manual changes to their hours worked, while part-time patent examiners’ schedules are often not up to date in the awards calculation system.
Management