Author Archive
Erich Wagner
Erich Wagner is a senior correspondent covering pay, benefits, organized labor and other federal workforce issues. He joined Government Executive in the spring of 2017 after extensive experience writing about state and local issues in Maryland and Virginia, most recently as editor-in-chief of the Alexandria Times. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.
Erich Wagner is a senior correspondent covering pay, benefits, organized labor and other federal workforce issues. He joined Government Executive in the spring of 2017 after extensive experience writing about state and local issues in Maryland and Virginia, most recently as editor-in-chief of the Alexandria Times. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.
Pay & Benefits
Biden formally announces 2% average pay raise for feds in 2025
The president each August must declare an “economic emergency” to prevent large automatic increases to locality pay from taking effect, in accordance with the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act.
- Erich Wagner
Pay & Benefits
OPM reminds agencies to grant feds leave to vote
Federal workers are entitled to up to four hours of paid administrative leave to go to the polls, thanks to an executive order signed by President Biden in 2021.
- Erich Wagner
Workforce
Trump calls federal workforce 'crooked,' vows to hold them 'accountable'
In an interview with a right-wing Youtuber, the former president seemingly alluded to reviving Schedule F and other Trump-era policies aimed at making it easier to fire federal employees.
- Erich Wagner
Pay & Benefits
House lawmakers plan to force a vote on bill to kill provision that cuts some feds' retirement pay
The Social Security Fairness Act would abolish two tax provisions that reduce retirement benefits for some federal workers.
- Erich Wagner
Management
Social Security to finalize rules making expanded phone and video hearings permanent
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the agency quickly pivoted toward offering disability determination hearings by phone and video, options that remain popular today.
- Erich Wagner
Workforce
The other time an administration sought a ‘more responsive’ federal workforce
An investigator into the Nixon administration’s civil service abuses says Schedule F shares a lineage with the disgraced former president.
- Erich Wagner
Management
GSA will update its property management regulations to reflect gender inclusive pronouns
The agency previously adopted similar updates to regulations governing federal travel earlier this year.
- Erich Wagner
Workforce
A gender equity group is urging ‘strict and specific’ sexual misconduct reform for the federal workforce
The Department of Justice Gender Equality Network said its employer could serve as a model, following the creation of a sexual misconduct response system at the department last year.
- Erich Wagner
Pay & Benefits
GSA: Per diem rates for federal workers will increase this fall
The amount of money federal agencies will reimburse employees for traveling expenses will increase for both lodging and for meals and incidentals beginning in October.
- Erich Wagner
Workforce
EEOC withdraws Trump-era proposal cancelling official time for unions reps
The commission controversially approved the idea on a party-line vote just days before President Biden’s inauguration but was caught up in a review of late Trump-era "midnight regulations."
- Erich Wagner
Management
OPM and OMB unveil a new plan to improve the federal hiring ‘experience’ for both workers and HR managers
The Biden administration’s latest effort to improve the federal hiring process provides a roadmap for implementing decades-old calls for reform.
- Erich Wagner
Workforce
Partnership for Public Service offers an alternative to “burning down” the civil service
The good government group traditionally has taken great pains to avoid partisan politics, but has become more outspoken since former President Trump unveiled Schedule F.
- Erich Wagner
Workforce
Teleworking feds are spending 60% of their time working in person, OMB says
In a congressionally mandated report, the Office of Management and Budget rebuffed many common complaints by congressional Republicans about the popular workplace flexibility.
- Erich Wagner
Management
Leaked Project 2025 training videos warn aspiring political appointees of ‘persecution’ by career feds
Though the videos don’t overtly discuss the Trump campaign or the Heritage Foundation-led transition project’s endorsement of Schedule F, conservatives repeatedly stressed the need for more “political control” of agencies.
- Erich Wagner
Oversight
Senators ask Social Security for info on AI work
Though the Social Security Administration has been using artificial intelligence tools in some form for two decades, the lawmakers stressed the need to engage the public as it explores new technologies like generative AI.
- Erich Wagner
Pay & Benefits
OPM’s retirement backlog continued to creep higher in July
The Office of Personnel Management processed nearly 500 fewer retirement requests than it received last month, causing its backlog to inch up for the second straight month.
- Erich Wagner
Pay & Benefits
Cassidy ties proposed 30% pay and benefits cuts to federal telework
The Louisiana Republican has introduced bills to bar federal workers from receiving locality pay if they telework at least once per week and excising locality pay from all future feds’ pensions.
- Erich Wagner
Workforce
Conservative senator seeks to ban official time at federal agencies
Eliminating federal compensation for unions’ time spent representing employees would shred a decades-old compromise at the heart of federal labor issues.
- Erich Wagner
Pay & Benefits
Senate appropriators endorse 2% pay raise for feds next year
With neither chamber in Congress willing to override President Biden, his plan to increase federal workers’ pay by 2% on average appears headed for implementation later this year.
- Erich Wagner
Management
Senate appropriators propose $500 million budget increase for Social Security overhead
The decision to include $14.7 billion for the Social Security Administration’s administrative budget sets up a fight with the House, which is proposing a nearly half billion-dollar cut.
- Erich Wagner