Management

Appointee Watch: Agriculture Nominee Withdraws, Fed Chair Nominated, and More

More ambassadorial nominees announced amid Trump comments on vacancies at State.

Management

House Panel Approves Bill Doubling Feds’ Probationary Period

Democrats object to provision they say would reduce due process rights for employees.

Management

Drop in Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Participation Raises Concerns

OPM’s engagement metric doesn’t take into account agency response rates, potentially masking declines in morale.

Pay & Benefits

House Vote Takes Federal Retirement Cuts Off the Table For Now

Federal benefit cuts could still be on the horizon through other legislative avenues.

Management

TSP Officials to Reflect on Declining Employee Engagement Results

Agency saw decreases in both satisfaction and engagement on this year’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

Pay & Benefits

Survey: Thrift Savings Plan Participants Still Want Greater Flexibility

Nearly 90 percent of feds are satisfied with the 401(k)-style retirement savings program.

Pay & Benefits

Report: White House Officials Backed 2019 Pay Freeze, $300 Billion in Cuts to Employee Compensation

Memo leaked to liberal news site also proposes eliminating FERS defined benefit program and retiree health benefits for new hires.

Pay & Benefits

Senate Approves Budget Plan, Setting Up Fight Over Fed Benefit Cuts

The House version of the resolution includes $32 billion in cuts, likely to employee retirement and health insurance programs.

Oversight

Senator Threatens to Hold Up OPM Nominee Over Obamacare Rule Spat

Chairman of oversight committee has long sought documents related to a rule allowing congressional staff to purchase insurance on a small business exchange and receive employer subsidies.

Pay & Benefits

Lawmaker Seeks Locality Pay Parity Between Blue and White Collar Feds

Hourly workers’ locality wages are currently determined by decades-old map of military installations.

Management

The 6 Agencies Where Employee Morale Has Declined the Most

State Department sees decline in satisfaction and engagement, while the African Development Fund reversed course on 2016 gains.

Management

The 6 Agencies Where Employee Happiness Has Improved the Most

The Homeland Security Department and the Chemical Safety Board continue their upward trends.

Management

Federal Employees Happier, More Engaged for Third Year in a Row

Worker response to OPM’s annual survey reaches lowest level in more than a decade.

Management

Appointee Watch: Kelly’s Replacement at DHS Announced

An acting Health and Human Services secretary also has been named.

Pay & Benefits

Ousted Local Officials Accuse Largest Federal Employee Union of ‘Sloppy Coup’

AFGE put its Labor Department local in trusteeship over spending on a settlement distribution event.