Employee Policy
Rep. proposes feds keep leave that went unused due to pandemic
A bill from Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) would make sure that feds won't forfeit unused annual leave.
Employee Policy
Lawmaker aims to crack down on reliance on acting officials
Rep. Katie Porter's plan to update the Federal Vacancies Reform Act would reduce amount of time acting officials can serve and require more frequent legislative updates.
Employee Policy
Government still faces challenges attracting students to public service
A new report sets an ambitious goal of revising the public sector workforce by 2031, but engagement remains a sticking point.
Employee Policy
SSA hits pause on 9 contract articles amid suit with law judges' union
The move comes as administrative law judges for the Social Security Administration sue the Federal Services Impasse Panel over their contract rulings.
Retirement
Bill bans TSP investments in some foreign index funds
Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), who introduced the Taxpayers and Savers Protection Act, said he worried that the TSP I-Fund would inadvertently fund foreign firms with ties to countries that were hostile to the U.S.
Financial Planning
TSP loans, hardship withdrawals decline despite financial panic
The Federal Retirement Investment Thrift Board reported a decrease in loans and hardship withdrawals by Thrift Savings Plan participants covering the period from January to mid-April.
Employee Policy
AFGE slams Trump's back-to-work plans
Union asks OPM and OMB to abide by six conditions before telling federal workers to go back to the office
Employee Policy
Judges sue Impasses Panel over improper appointments
The Association of Administrative Law Judges has become the second federal sector union to sue the Federal Service Impasses Panel.
Employee Policy
Union charges VA's strained IT systems overburden teleworkers
A Philadelphia AFGE local alleges that stress on the VA system has led workers to risk reprimand for working off-hours and that the Veterans Benefits Administration won't share contingency plans with employees.
Employee Policy
White House outlines plans to open agencies
In a new document, the federal government explains plans to align a reopening of all federal agency functions and a return to in-person work.
Employee Policy
VA needs more PPE, worker protections, medical staff says
As more patients and staffers contract coronavirus infections, employees are seeking more personal protective equipment, collaboration with management and hazard pay.
Employee Policy
OPM puts hazard pay for COVID-19 on the table
Government employees who are considered essential frontline workers could receive extra pay during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new guidance from the Office of Personnel Management.
Employee Policy
House Dems press leadership for COVID-19 workforce policies
Childcare cost subsidies, weather and safety leave, telework allowances are among priorities for Democrats in planned CARES-2 legislative package.
Employee Policy
Court: Investigations into whistleblowers are not retaliation
Whistleblowers must prove retaliation through official personnel action under the Whistleblower Protection Act.
Benefits
Feds struggle to get temporary excused paid leave
Feds with dependent care responsibilities that stretch them to the breaking point have a stopgap once leave options are exhausted, but many agencies are reluctant to put it in play.
Employee Policy
OPM allows pay cap waivers for recruitment, retention and relocation
The new policy allows agencies to ask for waivers of 25% on incentive and retention caps for COVID-19 response.
Employee Policy
Bill offers hazard pay for essential workers, including feds
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that the extra pay would be equivalent to a $13 per hour raise for essential workers.
Employee Policy
AFGE: Federal prison, VA workers exposed to coronavirus
The American Federation of Government Employees filed complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration about alleged violations of safety standards.
Employee Policy
Agencies' pandemic response risks workers' health, union chief says
AFGE President Everett Kelley described multiple reports from federal employees saying that their management had ignored established agreements and instead unilaterally directed workers to work without protective equipment such as masks and gloves.
Employee Policy