Author Archive
Pay & Benefits
OPM Waives Premium Pay Cap for Border Detailees
The federal government’s HR agency declared that the influx of children at the southern border is an emergency for the purposes of waiving restrictions on how much premium pay federal employees can earn.
Management
OPM Nominee Sails Through Confirmation Hearing, Pledging to Support Feds and Uphold Merit System
Kiran Ahuja outlined her vision for the federal workforce and the need for the Office of Personnel Management to transform to become a 21st century personnel policymaking agency.
Management
Union Criticizes Civil Service Carveouts in Science Bills
Two bills aimed at revitalizing the National Science Foundation include major exceptions to federal hiring rules that AFGE officials say are reminiscent of former President Trump’s controversial and aborted Schedule F initiative.
Pay & Benefits
Bill to Expand Paid Family Leave Benefits for Feds Introduced in Senate
Measure would grant federal workers up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for illnesses and other situations not covered under 2019 parental leave law.
Management
Senator Seeks to Ban Nonexistent 'Meatless Monday' Policy at Agencies
USDA in 2012 briefly encouraged employees to eat vegetarian once a week on a voluntary basis, but its cafeterias never stopped offering meat, and they are currently closed due to the pandemic.
Pay & Benefits
A Survey to Improve Personnel Policies, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Featured eBooks
Management
Unions Drop Challenge to FLRA Rule Making it Easier for Feds to Stop Paying Dues
NTEU said it is exploring “other avenues” to reverse a controversial Trump-era decision to allow federal workers to cancel their union dues any time after one year, rather than at annual intervals.
Management
OPM Looks to Update Federal Job Competencies
Officials hope an updated list of skills required for jobs throughout the federal government will better inform federal personnel policy.
Management
EPA Begins Rolling Back Trump-era Union Policies
The Environmental Protection Agency and the American Federation of Government Employees will revert in part to their previous 2007 contract, and the parties will begin negotiations on an entirely new contract later this year.
Pay & Benefits
Growing Momentum to Fix Some Feds’ Retirement, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Oversight
Nearly 90% of Pentagon Employees Said Telework Hasn't Hurt Productivity
A report from the Defense Department’s inspector general found that early IT issues following the shift to maximum telework stemmed from component agencies failing to perform required test runs.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers Push to Fix Controversial Tax Rule Affecting Federal Retirees
A new bill would set up a new formula to calculate how much retirees get in Social Security benefits if they also receive a defined benefit pension, in some cases replacing the controversial Windfall Elimination Provision.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Finalizes Rule Ensuring Feds Can Change Insurance During Shutdowns
During the 35-day government shutdown, some workers were unable to make changes to their health benefits because the employees responsible for processing those changes were furloughed.
Featured eBooks
Pay & Benefits
TSP Returns Mostly Positive in March
Only two of the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program ended last month in the red.
Management
OPM Appointments Mark a Radical Shift in Agency's Role
The hiring of high-level executives from organized labor marks a return to federal employee unions having a seat at the table in the formulation of federal personnel policy.
Pay & Benefits
The Pay Implications of Temporary Border Details, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
VA Rolls Back Trump-era Workforce Policies
The Veterans Affairs Department is restoring its previous contract with AFGE, which allows access to official time and union office space in department facilities.
Management
Social Security Clears Way for Stimulus Checks After Accusations of Malfeasance
SSA Commissioner Andrew Saul argued that the agency was required to wait to provide payment files for beneficiaries because it received no appropriations to fund its work on stimulus payments in the most recent $1.8 trillion COVID-19 relief law.
Management