Management
Administrative Law Judges Union Accuses Social Security of Illegal Implementation of Contract
SSA on Monday moved ahead with a partial collective bargaining agreement with the Association of Administrative Law Judges, despite the fact that nine articles remain in dispute, and the agency unilaterally rewrote an article without the union’s input.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers Revive Bipartisan Push for Maximum Telework at Agencies
The Pandemic Federal Telework Act would require agencies to allow all telework-eligible employees to work remotely for the duration of the COVID-19 national emergency.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Outlines Process for Restoring Leave After COVID
Regulations allowing some to carry over more than 30 days of annual leave into next year will also apply to future emergencies, Office of Personnel Management said.
Management
Vast Majority of VA Employees Have Either Witnessed Or Experienced Racism at Work, Survey Finds
Nearly 76% of respondents to union survey have experienced "racially charged actions," and three-quarters of those who haven't experienced incidents themselves say they have witnessed them.
Oversight
Inspector General Blasts Efforts to Transfer OPM Facility Authority to GSA
The Office of Personnel Management watchdog said the Trump administration took action without regard to the impact, potentially incurring millions of dollars in recurring annual costs.
Pay & Benefits
OPM Issues Regulations for Feds’ Paid Parental Leave
Beginning Oct. 1, federal workers will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid leave in connection with the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.
Oversight
Lawmakers Look to Further Strengthen Whistleblower Protections
Bills in the House and Senate would ban federal officials from blocking employees from sharing information with Congress, prohibit retaliatory investigations and protect more workers.
Pay & Benefits
Senators Push for Continued Telework, Contractor Leave in COVID-19 Relief Talks
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
OPM Is Reorganizing Employees to Get Around Ban on GSA Merger, Union Claims
Over the weekend, the Office of Personnel Management moved nearly two dozen employees into the agency’s HR Line of Business, which is being renamed with GSA support.
Management
Immigration Judges Union Survives, For Now
Federal Labor Relations Authority regional director rejects arguments by the Justice Department that immigration judges are managers and therefore their union should be decertified.
Pay & Benefits
TSP Posts Gains as New Funds Come Online
The stock market gave a warm welcome to the new lifecycle funds, now available in five-year increments.
Management
Appellate Court: FLRA Cannot Override Arbitrators Just Because It Disagrees With Them
A three-judge panel last week overturned a Federal Labor Relations Authority decision, ruling that the federal labor-management agency did not provide enough deference to neutral arbitrators.
Management
White House Objects to Language Preventing OPM-GSA Merger and Other Workforce Provisions in House 'Minibus' Spending Bill
Veto threat also lists objections to provisions that would undermine the White House’s approach to labor-management relations.
Management
Democratic Senators Introduce Bill to Include Feds in Coronavirus Response Decisions
A task force of administration and union officials would make recommendations for how agencies should protect workers during the pandemic.
Pay & Benefits
Feds' Chances For a Bigger 2021 Pay Raise Wane, and a Renewed Push for Coronavirus Hazard Pay
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Pay & Benefits
TSP Officials Provide Update on CARES Act, New Lifecycle Funds
In just 16 days, more than 13,000 Thrift Savings Plan participants have taken advantage of a temporarily available withdrawal option offered as part of the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Oversight
Watchdog Accuses OPM of Slow-Rolling Hiring Abuse Investigation
IG is looking into alleged misuse of direct hire authority to install political appointees in positions that should be held by career federal workers.
Pay & Benefits
A Push to Get Feds More Help During the Coronavirus Pandemic
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Pay & Benefits
Trump Threatens Veto of Defense Policy Bill Over Base Names, Other Issues
The White House issued a formal veto threat of the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act just hours before lawmakers voted on the must-pass legislation.
Management