Employee Policy

How training fits into cyber workforce development

In a tight market for cyber talent, training is one way to show the workforce you've invested in them, says Jason Gray, the Department of Education's CIO and co-chair of the CIO Council's Workforce Committee.

Employee Policy

Public Service Loans Forgiveness gets reboot

The program, meant to wipe the student debt of eligible public servants, in theory a big help to feds, so far has rejected the vast majority of applications it's received.

Employee Policy

OPM Director talks fed recruitment

OPM Director Kiran Ahuja talked about streamlining hiring, implementing President Biden's executive order on diversity and more at a George Mason University event.

Employee Policy

Vaccine enforcement coming as early as Nov. 9

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued new guidance on Oct. 1, outlining the Biden administration's discipline process for noncompliant feds—and the agency said enforcement could begin as soon as Nov. 9.

Employee Policy

TSA head: More rights on way for screeners

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want TSA to resolve longstanding compensation issues for the frontline agency's workforce.

Employee Policy

How feds can access TSP loans during shutdowns

During the 35-day shutdown in 2018, the government's retirement savings system saw a spike in withdrawals from federal employees looking to make ends meet without regular paychecks.

Employee Policy

Funding bill fails in Senate

The federal government is up against approaching deadlines for avoiding a partial government shutdown and hitting its debt ceiling.

Employee Policy

Lessons of the Cyber Reskilling Academy

The leaders who orchestrated a reskilling program meant to transform feds into cyber defense analysts have some takeaways to share.

Employee Policy

MSPB nominees hope to triage backlog

The Merit Systems Protection Board will also likely have to address fallout from disciplinary measures taken as the federal employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate takes effect.

Employee Policy

What will the new Digital Corps look like?

Technology talent with a desire to serve is out there, says Chris Kaung. There just aren't many places for them to get into public service early in their careers. The U.S. Digital Corps is meant to fix that.

Employee Policy

House bill: $3 billion-plus for fed tech

The House infrastructure bill, with an amendment from Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), gives the Technology Modernization Fund another $1 billion in capitalization.

Employee Policy

Fed managers seek info on COVID testing plans

In a letter sent to administration officials Thursday, the Government Managers Coalition flagged concerns that agencies and managers are ill-prepared to roll out the administration's COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for feds.

Employee Policy

Reorganizing for the Biden agenda at OPM

OPM is beefing up its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility office as part of an agency reorganization in support of a wide-ranging executive order covering the federal workforce.

Employee Policy

DHS stands up new excepted service for cyber talent

The new human resources system, launching seven years after legislation authorizing special pay for cybersecurity specialists, is a complete move away from traditional federal HR practices, the agency said.

Employee Policy

WH extends leave for feds to get vaccinated

Feds now get up to four hours of administrative leave to get COVID-19 vaccinations—and up to two days of leave to cope with adverse vaccine reactions.

Employee Policy

Biden names slate of FSIP appointees

Months after clearing out Trump appointees, Biden has nominated appointees to fill the Federal Services Impasses Panel, a key institution in the federal labor-management relations space.

Employee Policy

Workforce panel explains new COVID testing requirements

Agencies are not permitted to assign employees to remote or telework based solely on their vaccination status, the guidance says.

Employee Policy

OPM's new rules for student hiring

New rules published Tuesday by the Office of Personnel Management give agencies direct hire authority for appointing post-secondary students.

Employee Policy

Feds who lie about vaccination or avoid testing could face discipline

The Biden-Harris administration is looking into which feds could be subject to more stringent vaccination requirements in addition to the mandate for VA clinical staff, said Jeff Zients, COVID-19 response coordinator.

Employee Policy

HHS looks to reset labor relations

Some federal agencies are leveraging a Biden administration executive order to change the tone of labor-management relations, but unions say a few departments aren't taking the order to heart.