Oversight
GOP Lawmakers Question Ethics Waivers for Former Union Officials at OMB, OPM
House Republicans asked why Democrats have not objected to the use of ethics waivers by the Biden administration, although experts took no issue with the appointees in question.
Management
Biden Administration to Lift Capacity Caps at Federal Worksites
Agencies may set their own limits on how many federal employees can return to the office beginning next month, and in the meantime, the federal government will maintain its maximum telework posture.
Pay & Benefits
Federal Employee Health Program Insurer Offers Cash for Vaccinations, and More
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Report Calling for At-Will Federal Employment Suggests Trump Workforce Policy Isn’t Going Anywhere
Experts say the release of a controversial paper advocating at-will employment for federal workers portends future efforts to strip employees of civil service protections.
Management
OPM Finalizes Rule Easing Rehiring of Ex-Feds
Under new rules, federal agencies will be able to rehire former federal workers at a higher pay grade than when they left government.
Management
More Than 30 House Democrats Join Calls for Biden Administration to Restore Immigration Judges Union
Members of the House Labor Caucus said failure to act could imperil other bargaining units.
Management
Biden Administration to Grant TSA Employees Full Collective Bargaining Rights, Better Pay
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered Transportation Security Administrator David Pekoske to align employees’ rights with those enjoyed by the vast majority of federal workers, including access to the General Schedule pay system.
Pay & Benefits
Employee Groups Continue to Push for Bigger Pay Raise Following Biden Budget Release
Several organizations representing federal employees announce that they support a 3.2% pay increase next year, rather than the 2.7% boost proposed in the president’s fiscal 2022 budget.
Pay & Benefits
Most TSP Funds Continue Upward Trend in May
Only one portfolio in the federal government’s 401(k)-style retirement savings program lost value last month.
Management
Biden Ends Trend of Benefit-Cutting Budgets, But New Federal Workforce Initiatives Are Still Being Developed
Most of the workforce provisions outlined in the president’s first budget submission are vague references to policies that will be part of the forthcoming president's management agenda.
Pay & Benefits
Biden Proposes 2.7% Raise for Feds in 2022, Restoring Pay Parity
Although it is unclear how plan breaks out between locality pay and across-the-board increases, the topline number matches the president's proposed pay raise for members of the military.
Pay & Benefits
Two New Retirement Savings Bills Could Impact TSP
Officials at the Thrift Savings Plan said both bills aimed at making it easier for older Americans to get ready for retirement require changes to be implemented faster than is possible.
Pay & Benefits
TSP Officials Air Concerns About Congressional Proposals
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Senate Democrats Call on Attorney General to Restore Immigration Judges Union
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee called on Merrick Garland to reverse efforts to decertify the National Association of Immigration Judges and to axe a policy restricting judges' ability to speak publicly on immigration issues.
Management
House Panel Advances Bill Aimed at Preventing Future Schedule F Efforts
The measure would require congressional approval for any efforts to add new classifications of jobs outside of the federal government’s competitive service.
Pay & Benefits
Biden Climate Edict Could Spell End for TSP Fossil Fuel Investments
The president’s executive order aimed at incorporating “climate-related financial risk” into federal budgeting also instructs officials to review how the Thrift Savings Plan considers risks from climate change in its decision-making.
Management
Arbitrator: Social Security Engaged in Multiple Instances of Bad Faith Bargaining, Must Renegotiate
In a separate decision, a federal judge found the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the Association of Administrative Law Judges’ suit challenging the constitutionality of appointments to the Federal Service Impasses Panel.
Pay & Benefits
GOP Senator Introduces Bill to Bar TSP Investment in China
A roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
OPM Updates Agencies, Unions on Labor-Management Forums
A Trump-era order shutting down union-management councils at federal agencies remains “under review,” officials said, but in the meantime, agencies may elect to start new ones if they wish.
Management